Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) & Gaming

Hello, and welcome to our poster!  We’re going to look at how young adult learners can benefit from gaming in their Social and Emotional Learning, or SEL. [The] Covid-19 pandemic slowed or completely stopped social interactions for many of us and it was very isolating. Without a guarantee of safety in the ways we were accustomed to socializing, some people resorted to online communities, including but not limited to gaming communities, to sate their social appetites.

Role-Playing Games or RPGs are great examples of how games use Social and Emotional learning RPGs can be single-player like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, or multi-player for example a Dungeons & Dragons group that had been previously meeting in person could start meeting online via a platform of their choosing as an alternative during lockdowns or quarantines. 

Here are our key ideas:

Contrary to popular belief, gaming promotes strong community building and connection-making social and emotional skills.

Gaming can structure exercises to strengthen empathy skills in a low-stakes environment.

It is important to acknowledge and recognize the differences between healthy and unhealthy gaming, especially in young, impressionable minds. 

Hamilton wrote, in a news item titled “How video games can teach your brain to fight depression”, 

According to statistics, more than 1.23 billion people enjoy playing computer games, but more importantly, we now understand what is going on in these people’s heads. “According to research, when a person plays video games, two areas of his brain are constantly stimulated: the one responsible for motivation and the one that makes him want to achieve new goals.”

Please enjoy this demonstration of a gamified quiz my project partner, John Gates, made using Genially.[Quiz graphics]

Game Start Screen reads, "Quiz. Invaders. Press Start."

[Quiz questions are called levels for the game, quiz text shows 

on the right while game graphics with five "baddies" at the top of 

the screen and one spaceship at the bottom faces the baddies. The players health,

three hearts with one full, shows in the upper-left corner].

Level 1 of 5

[Image with game consoles, a keyboard and game cartridges]

Depressed mood has been found to be significantly lower in what types of video game players?

1 Moderate

2 Excessive

3 Those who don't play

[option 1 Moderate is chosen, and is correct, one baddie is eliminated, four remain]

Level 2 of 5

[Image of a black headset with yellow background]

Research by Przybylski et al., 2011 shows that video games contribute to

1 Alien Invasion

2 Overwhelming Hordes

3 Positive Feelings & Emotional Stability

[option 3 Positive Feelings & Emotional Stability is chosen, and is correct, one baddie is eliminated, three remain]

Level 3 of 5

[Image of a Sega Master System II console]

In a research study gamers reported video games helped them cope with...

1 Aggression, Stress, & Frustration

2 Dystopian Society

3 Being chase[d] by Ghosts

[option 1 Aggression, Stress, & Frustration is chosen, and is correct, one baddie is eliminated, two remain]

Level 4 of 5

[Image of a green tape cassette with a white tape cassette on top of it with a pink background]

Games that targeted saving the Earth gave players a significant meaning to

1 Friends & Family

2 Life

3 [Surveillance] Capitalism

[option 2 Life is chosen, and is correct, one baddie is eliminated, one remains]

Level 5 of 5

[Image of a Polaroid Camera with a blue background]

Video Games reduce loneliness, a common motivation for players to play [Video Games] is to...

1 Save the Princess

2 Cross a Busy Road

3 Create New Relationships

[The narration starts up again with, "If you are interested in learning more..."]

[option 3 Create New relationships is chosen, and is correct, the last baddie is eliminated]

[Victory music plays, multiple firework sprites pop on screen, then in the middle of the screen]

Congratulations!

[at the top of the screen]

New High Score 999999

[Just under "Congratulations!" now shows]

Thanks for playing

[at the bottom of the screen shows]

[Copyright symbol] 20XX Genially Games

If you are interested in learning more about gaming and SEL please check out our poster for resources including full audio/footage citations for the Skyrim Trailer and the Critical Role D&D show’s opening title sequence featured in this video.