TheRene Crown Wellness Institute, at the University of Colorado Boulder, is a home for research and practice dedicated to the wellness of young people and the adults who support them. A key area of study is social and emotional learning, known commonly as SEL, which has been linked to improved academic, behavioural and physical health outcomes.
Given the potential for positive impacts on youth development, researchers at the Crown Institute set out to create highly engaging SEL programming using characters from Pixars Inside Out. Their theory of success hinged on the ability of animated entertainment to facilitate better learning outcomes.
A collaboration betweenLiquidand the Crown Institute has producedInsideU, which supports SEL for children, focusing on emotional awareness skills.
What makes learning effective?
A theory for success
Researchers at the Crown Institute had a theory. The team, consisting of Sam Hubley, Julia Zigarelli, and Ryan Guild, believed it was possible to broaden access to skills and tools that support wellness by developing a learning approach that was designed for fun. If they could create accessible emotional education for children in a way that was entertaining, they believed it could make a difference for kids and the adults who support them.
Its not a new approach to say that leaning into entertainment will result in more effective engagement and better educational outcomes but it's bold. The team was confident, but lacking an important element. They were researchers and clinical psychologists, not designers or digital creators. They needed collaborators.
A partner for digital learning
If you strip it back, the heart of the problem is about finding a model for learning that achieves better outcomes for individuals and for the community.
And that is right up Liquids alley. Weve been a leader in digital learning solutions for 20 years. By blending human-centred design with behaviour change and education principles, weve created standout learning solutions for young children, teens, parents, and professionals.
The Crown Institute teams vision of digital learning that seeks to promote the wellness of young people was also familiar ground for Liquid. One of the largest and most successful learning projects weve ever completed was MindMatters, an online professional development program for high school staff. The platform won multiple awards and was regarded as one of the best online mental health interventions in the sector.
This new project was an exciting opportunity to merge Liquids learning design, engagement, animation and content expertise with the academic rigour and clinical expertise of the Crown Institute team.
Social and emotional learning
The value of entertainment in education
The Crown Institute team wanted to support the delivery of emotional education across the community in a way that was fun and engaging so that it stuck with young people. They were interested in what's known as entertainment education. Its a theory that says, if you prioritise entertainment first and education second, you can achieve better learning outcomes.
This means communicating key messages through compelling media, rather than through scientists or health professionals. Talking to people about emotions is difficult and talking to kids about the complexity of their emotional life even more so.
Impacts of SEL
SEL aims to improve self-awareness, social skills and responsible decision-making. SEL programs commonly involve opportunities for young people to learn and practise skills such as emotion regulation, cooperation, managing conflict and making friends.
According to CASEL, the leading proponent of SEL in the US, effective SEL has been linked to improved academic, behavioural and physical health outcomes. But how do you make learning about emotions fun and engaging for kids? Cue the Pixar film Inside Out.
