Dr. Renae presents on social and emotional learning at the LearningSCAPES 2023 Conference in Chicago.
Dr. Renae Mantooth and her HKS colleague's presentation at the LearningSCAPES 2023 Conference in Chicago left a lasting impression, garnering an overwhelmingly positive response from the audience made up of school administrators, facilities professionals, architects, planners, and designers. The session drew a crowd that exceeded the room's capacity, emphasizing its popularity among conference attendees. Initial comments reflected a sense of gratitude, with participants describing the presentation as invaluable to the learning environments industry.
Dr. Mantooth highlighted the importance of organizations like CADRE, underscoring their role in supporting smaller entities and emphasizing the open-source nature of the tool presented. Attendees also recognized the tool's applicability in pediatric healthcare environments, sparking interest in the potential development of a higher-education version. The presentation's emphasis on the teacher experience was appreciated, shedding light on a dimension often overlooked in similar discussions.
As the discussion delved into specific strategies, such as "Legibility and Wayfinding," participants noted the potential for these concepts to vary in meaning for different individuals, particularly those who are neurodivergent. Mantooth took the opportunity to highlight the prevalence of research on sensory well-being within autism populations. Towards the end of the session, a request for a Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) tool provided an opportunity to introduce the K12 POE coalition, a consortium actively seeking sponsors and involving various firms and school districts. The overall reception showcased the widespread enthusiasm and engagement sparked by Mantooth's insightful presentation.
The project, "Enriched Environments to Support Social and Emotional Learning," presents a visual design guide encompassing 18 evidence-based design strategies for creating enriched learning environments that foster social and emotional learning (SEL). Anchored by a neuroscience-informed framework, the guide emphasizes the role of physical space as a tool to support and enhance existing pedagogical practices in classrooms, ultimately advancing the agenda to equip students with social and emotional learning competencies. The guide serves as a comprehensive resource for designers, providing evidence-based design strategy cards to be utilized throughout the design process, offering insights into the impact of design strategies on both students and teachers.
Led by Principal Investigator Renae Mantooth, Ph.D., and co-Principal Investigators John Gasko, Ph.D., and Upali Nanda, Ph.D., the research team includes individuals with expertise in education, interior design, architecture, and project management. The project was funded by the American Society of Interior Designers Foundation and HKS, Inc. The guide not only enhances the understanding of the relationship between physical environments and SEL outcomes but also serves as a practical tool for designers to reference and incorporate evidence-based strategies into their work. Interested individuals can access the full design guide by filling out a form on the CADRE website, reinforcing the organization's commitment to disseminating valuable research in the field of educational design.