Project Director
Sirley Chen
- Director, Graduate Institute of Digital Learning and Education, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
- Director, Teacher Education Center, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
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Research Area
Flipped learning, information technology integration into teaching (digital narrative, digital games and digital curation), digital cooperative learning, social-emotional learning, high-level cognitive thinking, talent cultivation in Industry 4.0
Summary and introduction
Adolescents hold society’s hopes for sustainable development, and educators seek to guide them in not only applying their knowledge effectively but also discovering personal goals, growing with purpose, and ultimately contributing back to their communities. However, this journey can be incredibly challenging for vocational high school students. Alongside academic and skill-based pressures, they often face heightened competition, with peers acting as both friends and rivals. These dynamics create additional interpersonal stresses, which are especially complex during adolescence. Whether aiming for further education or preparing to enter the workforce, these students are often required to make critical decisions and have a good balance between academic performance, competition results, and future career paths. These combined pressures, intersecting with the emotional fluctuations typical of this developmental stage, underscore the need for effective emotional management and interpersonal communication strategies.
To address these needs, we have introduced the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program, which focuses on Nonviolent Communication (NVC), to help students build a stable emotional foundation and improve interpersonal interactions. Through NVC’s four-step process of Observation, Feeling, Needs, and Request, students learn to effectively express their needs in conflict situations, reduce judgement and hostility, and further enhance their emotional regulation and promote mutual understanding and collaboration, even in a competitive peer environment. The SEL program consists of five core competencies – self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making – which help vocational high school students develop stable emotional management skills, strengthen interpersonal communication skills, and cultivate self-confidence and a sense of self-worth amidst the pressures of daily life and academics.
To further enhance students’ growth, we incorporate various digital media tools, including web platforms, digital games, digital storytelling, and digital curation, to provide engaging learning experiences. These digital formats encourage students to explore and understand their emotional experiences, identify the roots of their emotional challenges, and express themselves through digital storytelling. This approach aims to develop empathy and problem-solving skills. By using these emotional exploration tools, we hope that vocational high school students will be better equipped to calmly face current challenges, discover their paths to personal development, set meaningful goals, and work towards them with a balanced emotional foundation.
Introduction to research results
