PSA has supported the idea of online learning and healthcare needing to reach the “whole person”. The “whole person” contains all the personal resources that can be brought into play, and also contains psychological and physical barriers or blockages to full immersion in the activity at hand.
IOW, people’s attention is affected by how they feel, and how distracted they are by environmental or personal circumstances. Rarely if ever are we able to bring our full complement of capabilities to any one particular task, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do better at it using certain tools and perceptions than we otherwise might. If we are worried about something, or if we are feeling ill, or emotionally upset…or physically not really breathing in a relaxed way…and on and on…we are not going to be the best we can be.
- From previous post on Gaming and eLearning by Ethan Kurzweil.
- Overlays and amplifiers, while not game categories in and of themselves, are emerging mechanics used in therapeutic settings to help children manage anxiety and emotional triggers, and could support students’ social-emotional learning—a key focus of educators in 2020. When layered onto a popular game, such as Mario Kart, this mechanic cues a player to practice new habits and rewards them with new powers or speeds once they complete them.
- “With a connected heart rate monitor, a game with this type of mechanic overlay is able to measure a kid’s frustration, anxiety, or temper,” said Craig Lund, CEO of Mightier, a gaming company first developed and tested at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School to give kids a safe place to practice emotional regulation.
- “If you’re able to stay calm, a player gains new powers; if their frustration increases, the game freezes and encourages them to practice deep breathing or other therapeutic practices.” Just as many schools integrate meditation, social and emotional learning (SEL), and virtual counseling into their curriculum, this gaming mechanic could be the new sandbox to help kids emotionally mature.