Grant amount
NIS 825,000
Online Platform for Self-Assessment and Development of Mental Skills for 900 Middle School Excellence Class Students
Developing and reinforcing mental skills of excellence class students through an online platform
Developing and reinforcing mental skills of excellence class students through an online platform
The high level and pace of learning in excellence tracks require strong mental skills. Students need to stay focused on tasks, manage them effectively, and overcome ongoing difficulty, anxiety and fatigue. This type of learning can be stressful, and students need support to maintain their success over time.
Their teachers, however, were not specifically trained to provide such mental support, nor have they acquired a toolkit for developing non-cognitive skills. There is a gap, and best practices, pedagogies, or routines are not yet available for schools. In the coming years, the foundation will partner with centers of expertise in this domain, to train teachers of excellence tracks in developing these mental skills among their students.
To pioneer attempts to bridge the gap between the mental needs of high-achieving students and the educational response, we approached SEL.IL at Reichman University. SEL.IL is an applied research center specializing in nurturing social and emotional learning in schools, with accumulated on-the-ground experience, though without specific expertise in working with students in excellence tracks.
SEL.IL is proposing to customize its newly developed online platform and adapt it for middle school excellence track students. The platform is based on interactive stories, where students take an active role in deciding how the plot evolves. By participating in real-time scenarios, confronting dilemmas, and making decisions, students engage in tasks that mimic their learning efforts and help them develop mental skills.
For example, one story could involve a student who has struggled with several mathematics tests and now needs to prepare for an end-of-semester exam. The “player” is invited to step into her online shoes, express what she may be feeling, and contemplate different routes she can take. At one point, a friend suggests going to a party the evening before the test, and the players need to help her make a choice. At the end of this stage, the platform presents the consequences of the decision and invites the players to reflect on their actions.
In collaboration with mathematics teachers, SEL.IL plan to prepare 30 such story paths tailored to the unique characteristics of studying in an excellence class in 7th and 8th grades. The stories will include elements related to motivation, efficacy, emotional regulation, and the ability to confront stress and failure. These scenarios will be pilot-tested with students and teachers in 10 excellence classes over one weekly hour, for a period of four months. Based on the feedback from teachers and students, the stories will be further developed and improved.
The aim is for the program to expand in the second year to an additional 20 excellence classes. The goal is for 900 students and their 30 teachers to receive personalized online feedback, enabling them to reinforce and develop mental skills accordingly. A final report with insights and conclusions will be prepared and presented to the foundation and the professional community by the end of the second year.
* The text above shows the grant as approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors / Grant 586