#329: Designing Digital Enhancements for Social Emotional Skill in a Collaborative Learning Environment

This study presents the design and implementation of a fifth-grade Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum within a hybrid digital collaborative environment. Using a user-centered design approach, we engaged teachers and a school administrator as co-designers over a four-month period to iteratively refine the features and tools from a collaborative learning and assessment system (EPCAL). Key design decisions, such as tailoring class analytics to SEL and integrating feedback and rewards systems, were informed by teacher input. A semester-long pilot study involving two teachers and 22 students demonstrated the feasibility of delivering SEL through a hybrid model using EPCAL. Findings highlight strong teacher engagement and meaningful student participation. This research contributes a scalable framework for hybrid SEL delivery, demonstrating how a participatory design approach can be effectively applied to curriculum and technology enhancements - an approach that can be generalized to other hybrid learning contexts.