My STEP project consisted of a research project in the Department of Educational Studies here at The Ohio State University. The aim of the project, DCL (Digital Civic Learning) and MBCSR (Mindfulness Based Collaborative Social Reasoning), is to immerse elementary and middle school aged children in productive conversations about ethics while enhancing their social-emotional academic learning from mindfulness. Through this project I was able to utilize fundamental research skills such as running statistical analyses and transcription review from the different activities and mindfulness exercises.
With the assistance of the STEP funds, I was able to gain valuable experience in the area of research and work together with a team to critically reason and interpret data. This project further propelled my interest in adolescent health and wellness. Through the mindfulness based tasks such as yoga and square breathing, students were better able to regulate their emotional state and in turn be better adapted for learning. My experience from the Digital Civic Learning and Mindfulness Based Collaborative Social Reasoning projects completely opened my eyes to the field of research. It gave me great insight into the many different facets and avenues for research and its developments.
Being a part of a research team is a very rewarding experience. It incorporates many different people from all kinds of areas and expertise. Because of this aspect, I was able to form valuable connections with PhD candidates, OSU faculty, as well as other undergraduate students. These group dynamics aloud for active thinking and brainstorming that resulted in tangible change that could be monitored through data. Data analysis, while seemingly daunting, had a powerful influence among our techniques and tasks.
From surveys and small group interviews from the elementary and middle school students, we were able to see what activities resonated with the students more. For example, during our interactive sessions, my team and I would show an animated video of a studied breathing technique called “square breathing”. This technique involves inhaling, holding, and exhaling one’s breath based on the pattern/order displayed. To our utter surprise, this was the students favorite task that helped relieve their stress and approach group discussions thoughtfully.
While students engaged in mindfulness based exercises, they were also assigned the task of reading young adult novels such as “Sunny” and “Patina” by Jason Reynolds. These novels involved ethical and social dilemmas that encouraged the students to engage in conversations that involved reasoning and evidence to support one’s beliefs. Being able to listen in on the students and their outlooks on the books was insightful and interesting. From the previous mindfulness exercises, the students were able to approach each topic fruitfully.
My STEP project was highly transformative for me and has left me with a great deal of memories and skills. With my future goal of becoming a pediatrician, I now have a better understanding of the inner workings of research and the various methods involved in working with children. Having to work with a team everyday allowed me to develop important leadership and team building skills that I now am able to incorporate into different areas of my life.
