‘Emotional intelligence can be learnt’

Positive outcomes: EI cultivates a relationship between two important stakeholders: the educator and the learner.

THE Covid-19 pandemic has certainly brought on a challenging period for academics and students.

The main challenge has been in dealing with emotions, especially with regard to the direction of education delivery.

In addition, the adoption of new norms and the lost time for learning have weighed on students, leading to some of them feeling lonely, unmotivated, stressed and depressed.

Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the propensity to recognise, control and measure emotions. EI can be learnt and is never totally an inborn characteristic. As we emerge from the pandemic, vivifying education can be assisted with an emphasis on EI. This is simply because emotionally intelligent students are generally better equipped to handle negative situations that may disrupt learning.

EI plays a beneficial role in character transformation for students transitioning from secondary school to university and then to the workforce.

As academics or educators, we need to provide a setting for EI so that students would by default be in a learning environment that nurtures it.

Being innovative in solution development within the EI context will help the cause.

Self-awareness

It would be prudent for academics to perceive emotions by first understanding their students, especially through non-verbal signals such as body language and facial expressions. Online learning seems to have lost the human touch in education but even in a hybrid learning environment, messages in the chatbox or outlook on camera view can ascertain a condition. One must always ask to receive, hence promoting thinking through a question allows for insight into the concern.

Additionally, cognitive activity can assist in analysing the situation of a particular individual.

The key outcome is to ensure attention is given, and understanding reactions or responses allows for evaluation of the condition or situation that leads to total awareness.

Self-regulation

The focus here is on controlling emotions by spreading or expressing positive emotions. In a learning environment, different backgrounds come together into one space; different characters or states of mind need to gel.

In many typical coursework implementations, working in a team is a vital component.

With the differences brought into a team, one must be able to control impulsive emotions and build trust among teammates.

With remote learning, there has always been this complex percentage of contribution to a team’s work outcome. Managing criticism among team members is important.

As an academic, feeding flexibility to timelines, attending to consultations and cultivating optimism will show that an initiative is taken.

Academics need to set a standard of excellence and at the same time, guide students on the achievement trail by developing performance in each individual.

Extrinsic motivation

External factors play a dominant role in a student’s learning behaviour. One crucial issue is class attendance.

The new generation feels too much is being taught over too long a period. Boredom falls into place, resulting in them feeling unmotivated in attending classes.

While it was already an uphill task during face-to-face interactions, the challenge is even more pronounced with online learning.

It’s an academic’s duty to provide a multitude of avenues for building motivation. Making the class sessions interactive is one; another is encouraging reflection on what is delivered.

A good example is using real-life work scenarios and business or operational case studies. With this, one can relate and understand the need to study a specific topic.Cracking jokes and relating to current world or national economics can take an active discussion further during or after class.

The key goal is to maintain happiness and interest in the journey towards a healthy learning lifestyle.

Empathy

Empathy is the cornerstone of EI. Fear of assessments has always been present in every student, me included back in the day. Assessments are there to gauge learning outcomes (LOs), nothing less or more; they should not be there as a fear factor.

Empathy in setting assessments that take into account emotional well-being will have a consequence on the results itself.

Direct consultation and extra guidance help in all ways. Reaching out to students is developing affirmative relationships with the student community. With verbal or non-verbal communications, we need to build success and achievers; hence, we need to ensure LOs are met in the most feasible and supportive manner while distinguishing the highs, averages and lows. The best way to empathise is to wear the shoes of the students.

Social skills

University life is a journey; it is an experience. For me, university years were the best period in my life. Whenever I meet my ex-university mates, all we talk and laugh about are the “good times”.

Every student needs to experience the goodness of a university experience and offering. Giving an avenue to build social skills and interaction caters for character growth.

Academics can play a part by rewarding strengths and achievements outside the context of the university norms.

They can also allow for co-mentoring, allowing high-achieving students to guide weaker ones. Connecting diversity to the study culture also permits interactivity that creates communications with each other.

As students expand their friendships, they also form a diverse network beyond university life.EI will give us pathways to improve education delivery for the betterment of students at the tertiary level. It cultivates a relationship between two important stakeholders: the educator and the learner.

Maintaining efficient EI is critical for positive teaching and LOs. Technology can be a tool and enabler to efficiently innovate oneself in EI.Prof Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam is the chief innovation & enterprise officer at the APIIT Education Group, a member of the ESC and LIF Working Groups at the Royal Academy of Engineering, United Kingdom, and vice-chair of the IMechE-UK International Strategy Board. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.