A recent article by the Boston Consulting Group found that social and emotional skills can be fostered by the use of online education platforms. Although many may find this hard to believe at first, the study found that the customization of online school and the many online social outlets make it easier for students to form student-to-student relationships, and therefore increasing their social skills. The research goes on to say that the technology revolution has allowed those with no access to traditional universities with not only a quality education, but social skills that may bring them a long way.
BCG describes, “Education technology can personalize learning, engage the disengaged, complement what happens in the classroom, extend education outside the classroom, and provide access to learning to students who otherwise might not have sufficient educational opportunities.”
This specific type of social learning is given a name, Social and Emotional Learning, or SEL. As described in the research, SEL has ordinarily not been taken seriously as a motivating factor in traditional education. However, recent studies suggest that the implementation of SEL has lasting effects for it’s students. “Social and emotional skills can strengthen the labor force, boost academic performance, and produce long-term benefits such as higher rates of employment and educational attainment.” We are living in a world where networking and world-wide communication is becoming increasingly important. If we can foster communication skills to our students (even students with location barriers) through online education, we can foster a successful and sociable generation.
At iQ Technologies, we firmly believe in sponsoring SEL, as we are a Smart Social Media education platform.
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