Strengthening Social and Emotional Skills in Adults

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The Learning Experience at Canadian Colleges

We know that social and emotional skills (SES)—such as communication, collaboration, and leadership—are critical for life success.

Yet the bulk of programs that teach SES end after high school.

Learning Is Lifelong

We continue developing SES in adulthood—through informal experiences like employment, co-ops, volunteering, extracurriculars, and caregiving, as well as formal instruction. These skills are important. So how are post-secondary institutions teaching them?

We are The Conference Board of Canada’s Education and Skills team.

We want to know how the college classroom environment is fostering the development of social and emotional skills.

Our research will help us better understand:

• what instructors and students think are important skills to learn (and why); • how classroom instruction can help.

COVID-19 has changed learning for everyone. Our research will study its impacts on the teaching and learning of SES—skills that inherently involve interpersonal connection.

What SES Learning Looks Like

Formal education can teach SES in different, but beneficial, ways:

Embedded

Standalone

Integrated

Teaches skills implicitly, within subject matter content. There is no direct reference to, or assessment of, these skills.

Example

A group engineering design project.

Teaches skills implicitly, within subject matter content. There is no direct reference to, or assessment of, these skills.

Standalone

Example

A course (or module within a course) that teaches and assesses communication skills, using assignments like a presentation on a topic not related to the student’s field of study.

Teaches skills explicitly, separate from subject matter content.

Integrated

Example

A student-led presentation assignment on a subject, with assessment of communication skills alongside subject-matter knowledge.

Teaches skills explicitly, alongside subject matter content.

Source: Deesha Chadha, “A Curriculum Model for Transferable Skills Development.”

Social and Emotional Skills Courses Across Canada

We looked at college courses available across Canada that aim to develop one or more SES.

We found a range of course lengths, teaching methods, and assessment techniques. Many courses focus on communication skills. Here are some examples of standalone courses we found in our scan.

Yukon University

CRES 1311: Communicating in Conflict Department: Open course within Continuing Education Target skills: Active listening, speaking, social perceptiveness, active learning Course length: 24 hours Teaching methods: Experiential exercises that ask learners to self-reflect, analyze, and apply to conflict situations.

Nunavut Arctic College

014-102: Interpersonal Communication Department: Required course within Social Work Target skills: Active listening, speaking, social perceptiveness, negotiation Course length: 11 hours Teaching methods: Includes classroom seminars, guest speakers/Elders, applied learning, project work, field trips

Red River College

COMM1173: Communication Strategies Department: Required course within diploma programs Target skills: Coordination, social perceptiveness, negotiation Course length: 45 hours Teaching methods: Discovery and project-based activities including reflections, case studies, and resource gathering

Grande Prairie College

DSS01: 10 Soft Skills You Need Department: Open course within Continuing Education Target skills: Active listening, speaking, complex problem-solving, social perceptiveness Course length: 8 hours Teaching methods: Direct instruction, including case studies and learner-developed action plans.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic

COMM291: Interpersonal Communications Department: Open course within Continuing Education Target skills: Active listening, speaking, social perceptiveness, complex problem-solving Course length: 30 hours Teaching methods: Lectures, individual work, group work

Cambrian College

BUS 1125: Business Professionalism Department: Open course within General Education Target skills: Complex problem-solving, active listening, speaking, service orientation Course length: 24 hours Teaching methods: lectures, class discussions, group work, presentations, reflective writing, guest speakers, case studies

Have a course to add to our list? Tell us.

Learn More

Check out our work for the Future Skills Centre, including more research on social and emotional skills:

• The Future is Social and Emotional (online experience) • Measuring Social and Emotional Skills (online experience) • What are Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions Saying and Doing? (issue briefing) • A Toolbox Talk on SES in the Construction Trades (issue briefing) • Identifying and Assessing SES in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry • Future Skills Centre Podcast (Ep. 01: Developing Social and Emotional Skills in an Automated World)

Follow the work of the Education & Skills team here.

The responsibility for the findings and conclusions of this research rests entirely with The Conference Board of Canada.

April 13, 2022