Engaging Learners through Social and Emotional Intelligences: UDL Practices in Pre-Service Teacher Preparation Programs
Abstract: A key construct in the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) paradigm is engagement (CAST, 2018). Engagement in the learning process requires connecting with the student through their multifaceted intelligence personality traits. Boyatzis et al. (2015) noted that emotional and social intelligence has received attention in academic research while the associated behaviors related to these intelligences have not been studied thoroughly. Our premise is that by connecting to the student’s social intelligence in online teacher preparation programs we can foster engagement that leads to learning. To attain the engagement, we suggest the use of social presence, which can be measured by the Online Student Connectedness Survey (Bollinger & Inan, 2012). The mixed-methods study will allow for those completing the survey to participate in an interview.
Presider: Pamela Groves, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley - UTeach Program