Due to the Covid19 pandemic instructional faculty had to transition their instructions and redesign their curriculum to deliver course objectives and promote effective student learning in the digital environment in the middle of the semester. The lack of digital readiness of institutions led to a disruption in instruction and learning as the move to digital environments became a requirement. Successful transition of learning and curriculum from traditional to digital environments rely on faculty’s competencies that would enable them to adapt to the change (Al-Awidi, H., & Aldhafeeri, F, 2017). These competencies include skills and knowledge in the use of digital tools in all curriculum domains and making students’ learning extend beyond the classroom (Bonanno, 2011).
The challenges in delivering effective Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) increase in a virtual classroom. Isolation is a barrier to distance learning (Thompson, 2017). Social-Emotional Learning needs will be higher than ever, and the education community, in its efforts to keep students physically safe, must not ignore or minimize their mental health (DeWitt, 2020). The goal of this study is to examine the importance of digital readiness of faculty in delivering SEL in a virtual environment. The paper will seek to understand if digital readiness plays a role in an effective SEL delivery that leads to enhanced academic engagement.
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