empathy as a pedagogical strategy

Empathy as a pedagogicalstrategy

within the context of online teaching and learning

By Mirei l le Hamel - [email protected]

On- l ine teacher at Un iv er s i ty of A lber ta (Campus Sa in t -Jean)

I ns t ruct iona l Des igner fo r on l ine cour ses and t ra in ing

FESTIVAL OF TEACHING AND LEARNING 2021 - PRESENTATION ON EMPATHY BY

MIREILLE HAMEL

mailto:[email protected]

Intention of the presentation

•Bring awareness and validate knowledge

• Sense of belonging


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Objectives

1. Define empathy in the context of online teaching and learning

2. Identify impacts of implementation of empatheticculture online

3. Introduce strategies for designing an empatheticculture


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A Vision of Education Based on the Delors Report

Integrated approach of lifelong learning and…

•Learning to know

•Learning to do

•Learning to be

•Learning to live together

(Jacques Delors, 1996)


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Definition of Empathy

What are the components of empathy?

?FESTIVAL OF TEACHING AND LEARNING 2021 - PRESENTATION ON EMPATHY BY

MIREILLE HAMEL

Definition of empathy

First, there is the emotional dimension, one can relate to the experience of another. It is

about being aware of, being sensitive to the feelings, thoughts, and experience of

another.

The second is the cognitive dimension, one can analyze and try to understand the

experience of another. It is the action of understanding.


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(Merriam-Webster dictionnary )

Sympathy implies sharing the feeling, of another, it refers to capacity to share the

emotion. Empathy refers to the capacity to imagine the emotion of another

person without actually having the same emotion.

Compassion implies a desire to alleviate another person’s distress. There is an

understanding but also a desire to mitigate the pain of another.

Empathy, Sympathy, Compassion


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Empathy“ Empathy includes both, our ability to relate emotionally and the subtlety of our

contextual analysis in order to help understand the other. “

(Poirier, 2013)


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Pedagogy of Empathy

Effective Teaching

1. Expertise

2. Clarity

3. Enthusiasm

4. Empathy

(Wlodkowski, 2008)


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Pedagogy of Empathy

Research shows that Intentional cognitive empathy contributes to:

1. Foster a sense of belonging

2. Motivate and engage students

3. Promote academic success

(Holmberg, 2003)


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Context of Distance Learning

How is the context of online teaching and learning favorable to empathy?


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Context of Distance Learning Students

Students who chose to learn online often have the following profile:

1. Autonomous

2. Self-motivated

3. In control of their learning

4. Consult teachers and peers when need for clarification or validation


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Benefits of Empathy

Who benefits from empathy online? How?


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Student EngagementStudent engagement and academic success

Safety net Risk taking


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Empathetic community mutual support


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Sense of belonging break feeling of isolation and stress


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Benefits of Empathy

Reduction of stress!? How does that work?


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Neuropsychological Benefits of Practicing Empathy


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Empathy and Stress

“It is proven that when a person feels understood and connected to

another human, their brain will produce oxytocine, the calming

hormone. “

(Ciaramicoli, 2016)


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Empathy and Stress

• Mental clarity

• Perspective and mental interpretation

• Remove biases and prejudices


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Empathy and Stress

“ Neuropsychological impacts of practicing

empathy has a double effect: it allows to

reduce stress production on the person

receiving empathetic ear as well as the

person being empathetic.“

(Ciaramicoli, 2016)


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Negative Stress

• Distortion of cognitive capacities

• Tendency to generalize

• Tendency to assume that our point of view prevails

or that it is necessarily the same as others

• Tendency of thinking in terms of us versus them


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Negative stress and strong emotions activate the

production of cortisol with such consequences as:

Positive or Negative Stress

What about motivational stress? The one that pushes us into action? The

same one that fuels the push to hand in work at the last minute?


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Positive or Negative Stress

There are two types of stress:

• occasional stress

• chronic stress

“ If occasional stress can contribute to creating a stimulus, chronical stress is

proven to be counter-productive in terms of learning. “

(Favre, 2016)


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Practical Strategies and Approach

How can teachers teach empathy online?


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Empathetic Culture

Stress reduction

Sense of belonging and engagement

Increasedacademic

results

As a student,

I feel less

stressed

As a teacher, I

feel less stressed

I feel

motivated

This is MY

online

community

I belong

in this

group


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Strategies for Designing an Empathetic Culture

State the purpose and intention: state the purpose of the course from a practical

point.

Develop a positive outlook: create a favorable approach to new learnings with

inclusion of personal choices.

Increase meaning to the topic by creating opportunities to include values and

perspectives from the students in order to push reflection further.

Validate individual contributions and support the importance of cultural diversity.


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Empathetic Culture

“Empathy needs

validation,

a tolerance for failure

boundaries.”


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(Brown, 2019)

Reflexive Approach

“Reflexive approach allows a step back in the midst of multiple decisions that we

all need to take each day. Because of the world complexity and constant

changes, we have often developed reflexes that are not always the best answer

to situations. Online teaching and learning allows that opportunity which is to

take a step back in our interventions.”

(Lecours, 2018)


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Reflexive Approach

1. Trigger event

2. Investigation and observation

(Analyze)

3. Reconceptualisation (Perspective)

4. Response (Approach)

(Lecours, 2018)


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Investigation

ResponsePerspective

Trigger event

Comments and discussion

Thank you very much for your attention!

Mireille Hamel - [email protected]


MIREILLE HAMEL

mailto:[email protected]

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