Inside PanelPicker: Social and Emotional Learning Trends

Hearing from the community through PanelPicker illuminates the most insightful metrics, which fuel a look into what’s trending in the education landscape. It’s important for us to get a pulse on the subjects that are top of mind for our community to ensure that the program addresses these key topics in March.

One trend in particular that has been of growing interest at SXSW EDU each year is Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). Since SEL debuted as a track in PanelPicker for the 2015 event, we’ve seen a significant growth in the quantity of proposals on the topic. This year we saw a 57% increase from last year, as well as a 205% overall increase since adding the SEL track in 2015.

As SEL has come to the forefront in education, we’ve seen an evolution in the conversations. The discussions have shifted from why SEL is important and have developed into a more complex examination of the various approaches to integration. Specific mentions surround global collaborations, gaming, design, creativity, early learning and student voice. Other notable discussion points include potential barriers to SEL implementation and how to measure these competencies.

When diving deeper into key trends aligning with SEL, we see a number of terms that have increased in frequency over the years including mindfulness, emotion, empathy, behavior and stress. This year we also saw a few new mentions that we didn’t see last year including yoga and meditation in support of the mindfulness movement—which is perhaps an antidote to the fully integrated and fast-paced tech world.

Discover More

Continue exploring trends in PanelPicker by logging in or create a new account at panelpicker.sxsw.com. Browse through all of the speaking ideas submitted for SXSW EDU 2018 to uncover more innovative ideas from the community.

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Registration and housing for SXSW EDU 2018 are now open. Early Registrants benefit from discounted rates on registration and the best selection of downtown hotels.

Roberto Rivera speaking on SEL at SXSW EDU 2017.