Integrating Social and Emotional Learning in Digital Classrooms: Opportunities and Challenges in Africa

• In Event: Exploring the role of socio-emotional skills for educational attainment

Proposal

Introduction
The integration of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) into digital classrooms offers transformative opportunities for education, particularly in Africa. SEL promotes emotional intelligence, empathy, and self-awareness, essential for students' academic and personal success. However, technological barriers, such as high costs and limited access, hinder the implementation of digital SEL in many African contexts. Lowering these technological paywalls could enable schools to better foster students' emotional and social skills, enhancing learning outcomes. As digital tools transform education globally (Voogt et al., 2018), SEL remains crucial, improving academic performance, mental health, and future success (Durlak et al., 2011). The authors’ adaptive SEL framework, which is based on the CASEL framework, also examined the extent of exposure and access to digital gadgets among the 1,413 internally displaced children who participated in the evaluation of the study.
Opportunities and Challenges
1. Opportunities for SEL in Digital Classrooms
Digital Tools and Platforms:
Digital tools and platforms have emerged as powerful resources for supporting Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). Apps like ClassDojo, which allows for real-time feedback on student behavior, and Seesaw, which facilitates student reflections and sharing of work, offer educators a range of ways to integrate SEL into their teaching. These platforms promote emotional literacy through features such as mood tracking and peer collaboration (Yoder, 2014). Additionally, interactive online platforms such as Nearpod or Zoom enable teachers to deliver SEL curricula in engaging formats, incorporating interactive polls, virtual discussions, and shared reflection spaces. These tools make SEL activities more accessible, offering students opportunities to engage in self-awareness, self-management, and relationship-building exercises from any location.
Enhanced Learning:
The integration of digital tools supports SEL by fostering creativity, self-expression, and engagement. Multimedia tools like digital storytelling apps and video creation platforms enable students to explore emotions and interpersonal challenges creatively, enhancing emotional intelligence (Greenberg et al., 2017). Virtual simulations and role-playing games provide realistic environments for practicing empathy and conflict resolution. Additionally, online collaboration tools promote teamwork and communication, helping students navigate social dynamics and develop interpersonal skills. Overall, digital tools make SEL more interactive and dynamic, supporting both emotional and cognitive development.
2. Challenges in Implementing SEL Digitally
Ethical Concerns:
While digital platforms offer many benefits, they also raise significant ethical concerns, particularly regarding privacy, consent, and data security. Many digital tools used for SEL collect sensitive information about students' emotions, behaviors, and social interactions. Without robust data protection measures, there is a risk that this personal information could be mishandled, leading to potential breaches of confidentiality or even exploitation (Livingstone & Third, 2017). Furthermore, obtaining meaningful consent from students, particularly younger children, is complex in digital environments. Students and their parents need clear, accessible information about how their data will be used and stored, yet many platforms do not provide sufficient transparency in their data practices. To navigate these ethical challenges, schools and educators must ensure that they comply with strict privacy laws, establish clear protocols for data management, and promote transparency with all stakeholders involved.
Digital Divide:
A major challenge in implementing SEL in digital classrooms is the digital divide, or the disparities in access to technology and reliable internet services across different socio-economic groups. In many African countries and other under-resourced regions, a lack of infrastructure limits students' ability to engage with digital SEL tools (Castells, 2010). Students from low-income families or rural areas often do not have access to the necessary devices or stable internet connections required for online learning. The authors’s study also reveiled that only 273 pupils out of 1413 pupils had access to a computer. This inequality in access further exacerbates the educational gap between students with more resources and those without. In contexts where only a fraction of the student population has access to digital tools, the promise of SEL-enhanced education through technology remains out of reach for many. Bridging this divide requires systemic changes, including increased investment in technology infrastructure, affordable access to digital tools, and targeted support for underprivileged students.
3. Case Studies and Examples
Successful Programs:
One example of a successful integration of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) into digital learning strategies is the RULER Program, developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. RULER is a digital platform that helps students develop emotional intelligence by teaching skills related to emotional regulation, empathy, and social problem-solving. Implemented in over 2,000 schools worldwide, the program has shown significant improvements in students’ emotional well-being and academic performance (Brackett et al., 2019). Through its digital tools, RULER allows for interactive emotional check-ins, reflective journaling, and peer collaboration exercises, making SEL activities more engaging and accessible for students.
The Second Step SEL curriculum has effectively transitioned to a digital format, offering interactive lessons on empathy, conflict resolution, and responsible decision-making. Studies show schools using the digital platform experienced improvements in student behavior and emotional regulation, with reduced bullying and aggression (Committee for Children, 2019). Similarly, the MindUP program in Africa integrates digital tools, focusing on mindfulness and emotional regulation through resources like videos and virtual exercises. In South Africa, schools using MindUP’s digital platform reported enhanced student attention, emotional regulation, and mental health (Schonert-Reichl et al., 2015), despite some technological challenges.
Conclusion
To realize the full potential of SEL in digital classrooms, it is crucial for educators, policymakers, and researchers to prioritize its integration into educational systems. Educators must embrace SEL as a core component of teaching, leveraging digital tools to create emotionally supportive learning environments. Policymakers should invest in the necessary infrastructure to ensure equitable access to technology, particularly in under-resourced communities. Researchers, meanwhile, must continue to evaluate and refine digital SEL programs, ensuring that they are grounded in evidence-based practices and responsive to the needs of diverse learners. By working together, these stakeholders can create a future where every student has the opportunity to develop the social and emotional skills they need to succeed in school and in life.

Authors

• Chanice Fri Okwen, Effective Basic Services (eBASE) Africa

• Patrick Okwen, Effective Basic Services (eBASE) Africa

• Ernest Alang Wung, Effective Basic Services (eBASE) Africa