Infusing EI into Higher Education: Three Curriculum Strategies

Educators aiming to teach emotional intelligence in the classroom are faced with a broad spectrum of possibilities. Should curriculum present theoretical models and definitions, or focus on practical applications? Can EI skills and concepts be infused into other course topics, or does a truly research-based treatment require exclusive focus? What sort of course structure, style, and content will best facilitate the apprehension of EI as a business tool, psychological construct, or a catalyst for personal growth?

Korrel Kanoy, Heather Lee, and Dawn Dillon have first-hand experience instructing students in EI theory and principles at Peace College in North Carolina, and have developed three distinct strategies for doing so.

1. Survey Model
Courses based on the survey model aim to impart a broad understanding of emotional intelligence (and its implications and general applications) through an exclusive focus on EI. This structure is an excellent choice for an introductory-level course in the psychology or business faculties. A survey course’s primary priority is to introduce the concept of EI in the context of its developmental history; reviewing early psychological conceptions of human intelligence and the subsequent evolution of those conceptions provides a solid foundation for a discussion of the existing models EI. Further background and support for both historical and contemporary perspectives on emotional intelligence is supplied through an examination of the scientific literature that inspired its development. The secondary priority of a survey-modeled course often involves imparting direct comprehension of modern EI assessment through the administration of a scientific assessment. In the Emotional Intelligence survey course at Peace College, each student receives an individual administration of the EQ-i, and participates in an exploration of the assessment’s 5 scales and 15 subscales with an eye towards their results. Subsequently, students develop and initiate their own personalized EI self-development plan. Grading for a survey course takes into account content mastery (reading responses, classroom discussion), EI skill building (completion of exercises and self-development plan), and a group project (working with a team to develop four EI development exercises for first-year students).

2. Infusion Model
The infusion model offers a framework for incorporating EI concepts and skills into a pre-existing course. Its aim is to provide students with an understanding of how emotional intelligence connects to a core course topic. This approach is well-suited to a number of potential classes, for example in:

• first-year experience courses: the focus may be on the link between EI and successful academic performance;
• political science or business management courses: the focus may be on the link between EI and leadership, and the perception of a leader’s efficacy;
• communications classes: the focus may be on the connection between EI skills and conflict resolution, or the management of difficult interpersonal relationships.

Although the term “emotional intelligence” may never be used in some infusion model courses, instructors at Peace College have found that comprehension improves when EI is defined and explored both as a scientific model and as a means for personal growth. During EI-infused classes at Peace College, a measure of EI is administered to each student along with a feedback report as a means of directly introducing and personalizing the concept of EI. The instructors also recommend that if any literature linking emotional intelligence with the course’s core topic exists, it should be distributed and assigned as required reading. If no such literature exists, the instructor should make sure to otherwise illuminate the connection between the two areas of study, and facilitate the exploration of the course’s core topics through the lens of emotional intelligence. Coursework/grading should include the composition of an original paper analyzing the impacts of EI strengths and weaknesses in a professional, academic, or personal field related to focus of the course. In Peace College’s political science class, students are asked to select an emotional skill (such as optimism or impulse control) and write about how it affected the career of a selected politician. They must also develop a self-improvement plan based on their own assessment results.

3. Application Model
The application model suggests a methodology for presenting emotional intelligence as a potential solution to a specific disciplinary or professional challenge. Before beginning to develop a course based on the application model, instructors should ensure that there is significant research that demonstrates the appropriacy, efficacy, and legality of employing EI solutions to a situation that falls within the purview of the course. For instance, a course in human resource management could address the use of emotional intelligence assessments as a component of employee selection and coaching processes. The first step in such a course is always to convey an understanding of the research that supports the use of EI assessments in the specified situation (likely focusing on the predictive validity of the EQ-i in such a setting). Once the efficacy of the chosen tool has been established, students should perform an analysis of the challenge or problem in order to determine the specific applicability of particular EI concepts. In the case of employee selection or promotion, this could be an attempt to determine which EI subscales are most closely associated with success or high performance in a particular professional field. Students should then be tasked with developing an EI-based solution to the problem or challenge. For instance, by creating behavioral interview questions that will elicit in employees or applicants responses indicative of their relative skill level in the EI subscales that are deemed to be relevant to success in the given position or profession. An application model course typically allows for discussion of the validity scales of an assessment (eg, Positive Impression, Negative Impression, Inconsistency Index), as they play an important role in determining the accuracy of individual results in a self-assessment.

Whether you are building an EI survey course, infusing EI concepts into a related topic, or applying an EI methodology to a specific challenge, we hope that you will share your experiences with us. Please email ceo@mhs.com to contribute your ideas to this ever-growing field of study.

For more information on this topic, and others relating emotional intelligence to higher education, please refer to the Higher Education Symposium on Emotional Intelligence proceedings.

Infusing Emotional Intelligence into FYE Courses at Peace College

The following article has been submitted by Korrel Kanoy, Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Psychology at Peace College. In it she details how her campus has had great success applying Emotional Intelligence with their first year students, and she provides advice for other campuses who are considering incorporating emotional and social topics into their first year curriculum.

Peace College, a private, liberal arts college for women, began infusing emotional intelligence (EI) concepts into our First Year Experience (FYE) class during the fall 2008 semester.  Our class is designed to help students make a successful transition to college and what better way to do that than to equip students with EI knowledge and skills?  We found it easy to infuse EI concepts throughout our FYE curriculum and would expect most colleges to have the same experience. 

Consideration of the value of a liberal arts education becomes meaningful to 18 year olds when contextualized in terms of their goals and ambitions (self actualization) or even the level  of understanding related to why they came to college (self awareness). A discussion of study skills becomes even more relevant if impulse control (study first, party later) also becomes a meaningful part of the conversation.  Discussions about roommate issues and changing relationships with family members become more meaningful when independence, empathy and interpersonal relationship constructs are added to the discussion.  The list goes on. 

In fact, we found it so easy to incorporate EI into our FYE curriculum that it became difficult to know where to stop.  By the end of the semester, my students were drawing connections to EI even when I wasn’t doing so. When we were covering identity development related to career choice, A particularly astute student commented that it would be hard to develop a meaningful career identity without first having well developed self awareness and a certain level of independence from parents who might try to influence choices.

To initiate this program, we trained 21 faculty and staff members to interpret the EQ-i® and each first-year student met with a trained interpreter for 30 minutes.  After completing the interpretation, each student designed a self-development plan based on two EI areas she wanted to improve.  Development plans were shared and discussed with instructors and students began making the connections between EI and their personal and academic success.  For example, one student in my FYE class made the connection that she needed to listen more and talk less during class (her empathy and interpersonal relationship scores were low), and as a result, her relationships with her peers improved noticeably.

One word of caution though – before implementing required EQ-i testing, be sure your Counseling Center staff understands the EQ-i and is prepared for a possible increase in requests for meetings.  Our staff noticed about a 30% increase in appointments right after EQ-i interpretations were completed.  Apparently, students’ self awareness or the desire to get more structured help improving EI led students to seek out our counselors.  And, in a few cases, a score or scores (e.g., self regard)were so low that faculty referred the student for counseling.

One final note – our preliminary analysis of data from these entering first-year students showed that EI skills were predictive in two areas.  First, higher optimism, along with better high school grades and higher verbal SAT score were predictive of better academic performance by mid-term of the first semester.  By the end of the term, two EI subscales emerged as predictors of first to second semester retention.  Higher optimism and better impulse control predicted retention better than any academic measure.   As a result of this preliminary data, we plan to infuse more programming related to developing impulse control and optimism in our first-year orientation programs, our residence life programming and our FYE curriculum.

Promoting Emotional Intelligence at University of the Pacific

University of the Pacific, located in Stockton, CA, has recently taken significant steps to promote Emotional Intelligence on its campus through the creation of the Center for Social and Emotional Competency (SEC). The aim of this center is to provide the strategic direction for University of the Pacific to become a national leader in whole-student learning through social and emotional competency development.

This recent development at University of the Pacific has an MHS connection: Dr. Craig R. Seal, who presented at the recent Higher Education Symposium on Emotional Intelligence, has been chosen as the director for this new center. As director, Dr. Seal will be tasked with providing the vision, guidance, and strategic implementation to help Pacific achieve national recognition as a leader in the evolving research and student development in social and emotional competence.

Last October Dr. Seal impressed Symposium attendees on Georgetown campus with his presentation entitled “MBA EI Development Through Teams and Negotiations.” The session explored an EI development program for MBA students using a skill-based core course as a model, which incorporated team and negotiation exercises, as well as student assessment of EI using the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). Dr. Seal’s complete presentation has been hosted on the Higher Education Symposium site . Dr. Seal has also submitted a proposal to present again at the upcoming International Conference on Emotional Intelligence in Toronto this June.

We would like to congratulate  Dr. Craig R. Seal on his appointment at University of the Pacific.

EI, Emotional Self-Efficacy and Academic Success in British Secondary Schools

The significant progress that educators in the United Kingdom have made in recognizing the importance of Emotional Intelligence and integrating it into school curriculums can be seen in the success of the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) program, on which we have often reported here in the EI Insider. The following study, submitted by Pamela Qualter, a lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Lancashire, is further evidence of this dedication to providing students with far more than book smarts.

This study examined the long-term effects of Emotional Intelligence and emotional self-efficacy on scholastic achievement in British adolescents. Participants were 628 male and female secondary school students. They completed the following tests during the first few weeks of secondary school (Year 7): an assessment of EI (MSCEIT YV) and cognitive ability, an assessment of emotional self-efficacy (EQ-i: YV) and personality questionnaires. Academic achievement data were collected at Year 9 and Year 11. Structural equation modeling analyses showed that EI has direct effects on Standard Assessment Tests (SAT) and General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) English performance for boys, but not girls.  In contrast, emotional self efficacy directly predicts SAT and GCSE English scores for girls, but not boys.  In science, EI and emotional self-efficacy do not predict SAT or GCSE performance for boys; for girls, EI directly impacts on SAT scores, and indirectly predicts GCSE Science performance via its relationship with SAT performance. 

Further analysis showed that emotional self-efficacy and EI act as moderators of the effects of cognitive ability on academic achievement.  For example, it was found that boys who have high emotional self-efficacy and high cognitive abilities outperform all other males in GCSE English language and English literature; girls high on EI and cognitive ability perform better than girls of a similar cognitive ability, but lower EI, on GCSE maths, English literature, English language and science. It was therefore concluded that opportunities to develop EI and increase emotional self efficacy may offer educators significant opportunities to improve educational achievement.

Announcing a New EQ-i® Report Option for Higher Education

The new EQ-i ^® Higher Education Report (EQ-i HEd) is the product of many years spent working with campuses to fine tune the EQ-i reporting options to meet the specific needs of Higher Education staff and faculty working with students. Higher Education users already familiar with the EQ-i will find that this new report option delivers all the helpful feedback they’ve come to expect from the assessment, except now the feedback is presented in a format more relevant to students and educators.

The set of three reports that the EQ-i HEd renders offers students and counselors school-specific results in a delivery system geared for optimal understanding, ease of administration, and follow-up. Using the new EQ-i HEd, students take the standard 133-item version of the EQ-i and instantly get a 10-page summary of their top three and lowest two results. Counselors can then generate comprehensive reports that provide interpretation and development strategies for all 15 subscales. These reports are ideal aids for coaching students and incorporating Emotional Intelligence into your class curriculum or campus leadership programs.

You can now download free samples of these reports from our website, and if you think the Higher Education Report may be a good fit on your campus, contact MHS client services for more information.

The Dell Scholars Program: Emotional Components of Student Success

This summer the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation’s Dell Scholars Program will begin a study to determine the Emotional Intelligence competencies that best contribute to the success of their scholars.

The primary purpose of the EI project is to generate strategies and support networks to promote the social and emotional development of every Dell Scholar. The Scholar program is unique in that it places greater emphasis on a student’s determination to succeed than on the student’s academic record and test scores.

This approach of looking beyond grades has prompted program organizers to consider incorporating Emotional Intelligence as a means of developing the potential of prospective scholars. Program director Kevin Byrne is excited about the prospects. “A college education opens so many opportunities for young students to pursue their dreams,” said Byrne, “We hope to send every scholar with everything they need to be successful in school. The students will hopefully inspire others in their families and communities to dream big and empower their minds with higher education.” The following description, taken from the foundation’s website (www.msdf.org and www.dellscholars.org ), goes into more detail on the unique focus of the Dell Scholars Program:

The Dell Scholars Program is a need-based scholarship that recognizes academic potential and determination in underserved and low-income students. Most of the Dell Scholars are first-generation college students, and are chosen because they participate in an approved college readiness program and maintain at least a 2.4 grade point average on a 4.0 scale while dealing with personal responsibilities at home or in their communities. Requirements also include graduation from an accredited high school, demonstrated financial need and intent to enter a bachelor’s degree program at an accredited higher education institution.

Dell Scholars receive $20,000 each to continue their higher education over six years. In addition, the Dell Scholars program provides its students with technology, resources and mentoring to ensure they have the support they need to obtain a college degree. These additional resources have contributed to the program’s retention rate of 89 percent, well above the national average of 22 percent for these students.

More than 1000 scholarships and $14 million in scholarship funds have been awarded by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation to date.

Byrne and the Dell Scholars program retention manager Oscar Sweeten-Lopez will be sharing additional details of their Emotional Intelligence initiatives during the Higher Education Symposium on Emotional Intelligence at Georgetown University on October 2 and 3. If you wish to join us, please visit www.mhs.com/eisymposium for registration details and the two day agenda.

Emotional Intelligence 101: Building an EI Curriculum for Undergraduates

The following article was submitted to the EI Insider Report by Marc A. Brackett, Ph.D., from the Department of Psychology at Yale University. Dr. Brackett works closely with Yale College Dean Dr. Peter Salovey in the Health, Emotion, and Behavior Labratory at Yale. In the following article, he describes the full credit course he designed to teach undergraduates in the Yale psychology department about the importance of Emotional Intelligence.

The course I developed for undergraduates at Yale University explores Emotional Intelligence from a variety of avenues. Readings include primary sources (journal articles), chapters, and excerpts from textbooks. The experiential component of the course requires students to complete tests of Emotional Intelligence (anonymously). I use these data in lectures to discuss issues in measurement and validity, as well as to guide students in learning about their own emotion-related skills.

The lectures and corresponding experiential activities are divided into five sections: 

1. What is an emotion? Students learn about theories of emotion, cultural differences, measurement, and recent developments in neuroscience and psychology
2. History of EI: Students examine the socio-cultural context from which Emotional Intelligence emerged 
3. Models and measures of EI: Students critically review the Mayer and Salovey model and compare it both conceptually and empirically to other models. Students explore extensively each of the four “branches” or abilities (perception, use, understanding, and management of emotion) 
4. Development of EI: Students learn how each of the four key Emotional Intelligence skills develops from a bio-psycho-social perspective 
5. Applications and training of EI: Students learn about the relevance and importance of Emotional Intelligence in schools, family, social relationships, and the workplace.

Grading in this course consists of attendance and lab participation (10%), three exams (60%), reaction papers (5%), and a final paper (25%). The final paper requires students to make an original contribution. Students identify a perspective (e.g., development, neuroscience, social/personality psychology) and then demonstrate how that particular line of research can inform the theory and or measurement of EI.

Evaluations of the course have been very positive. Students enjoy the experiential component of the course, in particular, as they have the opportunity to examine their own beliefs and EI skills, and how this information relates to their personal lives, relationships, and academic performance.

Marc Brackett will be a panelist at ICEI 2008 and will be presenting at the Higher Education Symposium on Emotional Intelligence this October. To learn more about his work in Emotional Intelligence, be sure to catch his sessions. 

If you have an article you would like to submit to the EI Insider Report, please contact us by email at eiinsiderreport@mhs.com.

EI Symposium Update: Call for Papers Ending April 30

MHS is partnering with Georgetown University, Washington, DC, to host an unprecedented event on campus this fall: a symposium designed specifically to explore the role of Emotional Intelligence in higher education. Faculty, staff, administrators, and students will share best practices and success stories, learn from one another, and demonstrate ways in which Emotional Intelligence can have a substantial impact on student success and development.

With the deadline to submit presentation topics approaching soon, those wishing to present at the Symposium must submit their presentation topics by midnight on April 30th. Full guidelines for the submission process can be found in the Call for Papers section of the ICEI 2008 site.

Prospective presenters who have already submitted their topics can expect to hear back from Symposium organizers on the status of their application by May 31.

Social Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) Programme Update

MHS UK are excited to be exhibiting at next month’s Secondary SEAL (Social Emotional Aspects of Learning) Conference in London. Due to oversubscribed demand, this is the third SEAL conference focusing on secondary schools following the Government’s release of the results from the pilot SEAL project in primary schools last summer, and their subsequent pledge to roll out the programme to all primary and secondary state schools in the UK. The SEAL curriculum focuses on the development of 5 key skills in young people: self awareness, management of feelings, motivation/resilience, empathy, and forming positive relationships.

At the last SEAL Conference in February, educational providers showed a great deal of interest in MHS EI assessments offering for both schoolchildren and teachers. Delegates were further encouraged by the news that the EQ-i adult and youth versions are specifically recommended in an independent review commissioned by the DFES (Department for Education and Skills) as having potentially the most value of all emotional and social assessments for young people. The recommendation also cited the added benefit of having an adult version which could be used to help develop emotional and social skills in teachers. News of the youth version of our MSCEIT assessment, the MSCEIT YV (currently in the data collection phase of development), was also of interest to delegates.

The February conference was opened by Sue King from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate, who enthusiastically announced key positive findings including:

• The SEAL programme’s huge impact on how pupils interacted with one another and teachers in the classroom had a positive effect on the academic and personal outcomes of the young people.
• Better levels of learning, better behaviour, improved cooperation between students and staff, as well as among students (particularly in schools where there was previously a lot of tension),
• Differences in how pupils felt about themselves, with the pupils reporting they felt more positive, more included, more valued and felt a greater investiture in their academic success.
• An increase in staff morale, fewer confrontations were reported, and there was a greater focus on learning and a greater impact on attainment and achievement.

The key message was that the curriculum had radically improved pupil outcomes and literally transformed schools, particularly those that were previously struggling.

The next SEAL Conference will be taking place 15 May 2008 at The Ibis, Earl’s Court, London. If you are planning to attend, please be sure to visit the MHS stand.

Higher Education Symposium Call for Papers Ending Soon

MHS will be partnering with Georgetown University to host a unique event this fall: the first ever Higher Education Symposium on Emotional Intelligence. Registration is now open on the EI Symposium site, where you will also find more information about the event. If you would like to join the Symposium as a presenter, please be sure to submit your presentation before the paper submission deadline of April 10th, 2008.