Empathy Learning Research Articles

Peer relationships and study wellbeing: upper secondary students’ experiences

AbstractThe role of peer relationships in a student’s study wellbeing has been emphasised in research. However, the development of functional relationships with peers in educational settings cannot be taken for granted. In this study, we aimed to understand the variations in upper secondary school students’ experiences of peer relationships in terms of sense of relatedness, cognitive and affective empathy skills and peer support for studying, and whether variation in these regards are related to study wellbeing. Two hundred and eighty Finnish upper secondary education students participated in the study. The data were analysed using latent profile analysis (LPA). Three distinct peer relationship profiles were detected among the students. Most of the students belonged to the functional peer relationship profile, while a minority belonged to either isolated or emotionally unrelated profiles. The students in the latter two profiles had a higher risk of experiencing challenges in study wellbeing in terms of reduced levels of study engagement and higher levels of study burnout symptoms. The findings imply that students in upper secondary education might need different kinds of support in building functional peer relationships. For example, some of them might benefit from learning empathy skills, while others might need support to meet their need for a sense of relatedness among peers.

Nursing Students' Experiences of Empathy in a Virtual Reality Simulation Game: A Descriptive Qualitative Study.

Empathy is significant in nursing, and showing empathy toward a patient positively impacts a patient's health. Learning empathy through immersive simulations is effective. Immersion is an essential factor in virtual reality. This study aimed to describe nursing students' experiences of empathy in a virtual reality simulation game. Data were collected from nursing students (n = 20) from May 2021 to January 2022. Data collection included individual semistructured interviews; before the interviews, the virtual reality gaming procedure was conducted. Inductive content analysis was used. Nursing students experienced compassion and a feeling of concern in the virtual reality simulation game. Students were willing to help the virtual patient, and they recognized the virtual patient's emotions using methods such as listening and imagining. Students felt the need to improve the patient's condition, and they responded to the virtual patient's emotions with the help of nonverbal and verbal communication and helping methods. Empathy is possible to experience by playing virtual reality simulation games, but it demands technique practicing before entering the virtual reality simulation game.

"What Does it Matter?": Reading Within Architectural Spaces in Dickens's Hard Times

Abstract: In this article, I analyze the progression of Louisa Gradgrind's imaginative and emotional interior life in Charles Dickens's Hard Times . I integrate Gaston Bachelard's theory of the intrinsic relationship between imagination and architectural spaces in The Poetics of Space (1958) with Cassandra Falke's theoretical approach to learning empathy through reading literature in The Phenomenology of Love and Reading (2016) in order to create a critical framework. This framework then illustrates Dickens's use of domestic spaces to guide his readers experientially through Louisa's interior healing and development throughout the novel. I argue that Dickens desires his readers to believe by the end of Louisa's story that this inner wholeness is also possible and achievable for them through reading literature.

Designing historical empathy learning experiences: a pedagogical tool for history teachers

This article explores the pedagogies that history teachers use to foster historical empathy, drawing from interviews with secondary school history teachers in Canada. The findings highlight that historical empathy is nurtured by teachers over time using a variety of different teaching approaches and activities, tasks and projects. The article begins by examining the pedagogical choices that teachers make when designing and implementing historical empathy lessons, categorised as implicit, thematic, student-centred, scaffolded and comparative approaches. Next, consideration is given to the types of learning experiences that teachers use to develop historical empathy, and some of the opportunities and challenges involved. These learning experiences include role plays and simulations, first- and third-person writing tasks, experiential learning and virtual reality, and collaborative and project-based learning. The perspectives shared by the teachers in this study contributed towards the development of a research-informed pedagogical tool to guide the future design of learning experiences that foster historical empathy, which may be applied by teachers across educational jurisdictions, and adapted for various grade levels.

What About Empathy? A Qualitative Study Exploring the Role of a Podcast as an Asynchronous Empathy Teaching Tool.

Though medical education podcasts are fast gaining popularity, they are overwhelmingly focused on teaching the medical expert role of physicians. We explored how medical learners and educators engaged with and learned from an empathy and communication-focused podcast and sought their recommendations for integrating the podcast into medical curricula. Six virtual, semi-structured focus groups were conducted with educators and learners within a large urban hospital and university setting. Participants were asked to listen to pre-selected episodes of the About Empathy podcast in advance. Thematic analysis was used to explore experiences and perceptions of empathy teaching and learning. There were 24 participants. We identified six themes related to the podcast and empathy learning: (1) forging connection through stories, (2) creating space to reflect on empathy, (3) shifting perspectives and biases, (4) feeling validated and enabling self-compassion, (5) gaining knowledge and building skills through empathetic communication, and (6) translating new knowledge and skills into practice. Participants highlighted that the podcast's portability and asynchronous nature allowed them to be more fully present, reflective, and intentional in their learning. The About Empathy podcast was experienced as a flexible, just-in-time tool that promoted self-agency over one's learning, reflective practice, and knowledge and skill acquisition, particularly with respect to empathic communication. Benefits of asynchronous e-learning tools such as podcasts support a shift to a blended learning model. Challenges finding a curricular home for this empathy-focused podcast require further consideration.

Research: Games to Promote Empathy as a Literacy Practice: A New Teacher’s Playful Practice

Researchers have advocated for the use of games for learning, yet few studies focus on games within English teacher education. Even fewer studies examine English Language Arts (ELA) teachers as designers of games. In this article, the authors examine a new ELA teacher’s design and implementation of a tabletop card game and explore what this game and its use in a middle school classroom illustrate about the purposes of games in secondary ELA. Data collection occurred across one year and included three semi-structured interviews and game materials. Key findings focus on games as (a) platforms for learning empathy as a literacy practice; (b) texts for story building and interpretive practice; and (c) ways to reimagine classroom learning. We discuss implications for teacher educators and teachers, including games in ELA curriculum, the use of games to reconceptualize schooling, and tensions that can arise when teachers incorporate games in classrooms.

Does deliberate practice surpass didactic training in learning empathy skills? – A randomized controlled study

A large body of research identifies therapist expressed empathy as one of the most important predictors of psychotherapy outcome. Deliberate practice (DP) is an effective method to improve skills in many fields. We asked if DP also can be used to enhance the skill of expressing empathy. Objective: The aim was to compare the efficacy of DP to didactical learning methods (DLM) in enhancing the skill of empathic expression in students. Method: A repeated measures randomized controlled group design was used. Novice students (N = 36) from psychologist-, medicine-, social work-, and nursing programs received two training sessions of either DP (n = 21) or DLM (n = 15). Participants’ skills in empathic expression were assessed with the Measure of Expressed Empathy (MEE) on three occasions: before the first, between, and after the last training session. Results: Participants in the DP-group showed improved empathic expression, whereas participants in the DLM-group did not. Conclusions: These findings suggest that DP is an effective training method for therapeutic skills such as empathic expression and holds implications for the future development of educational practices to incorporate active skill training methods.

Usability Testing of a Web-Based Empathy Training Portal: Mixed Methods Study.

The prepandemic period saw a rise in web-based teaching. However, web-based tools for teaching the essential clinical skill of cognitive empathy (also known as perspective taking) remain limited. More of these tools are needed and require testing for ease of use and understanding by students. This study aimed to evaluate the usability of the In Your Shoes web-based empathy training portal application for students using quantitative and qualitative methods. This 3-phase formative usability study used a mixed methods design. In mid-2021, we conducted a remote observation of student participants interacting with our portal application. Their qualitative reflections were captured, followed by data analysis and iterative design refinements of the application. Overall, 8 third- and fourth-year nursing students from an undergraduate baccalaureate program at a Canadian university, in the western province of Manitoba, were included in this study. Participants in phases 1 and 2 were remotely observed by 3 research personnel while engaged in predefined tasks. In phase 3, two student participants were asked to use the application as they liked in their own environments, after which a video-recorded exit interview with a think-aloud process was conducted as participants responded to the System Usability Scale. We calculated descriptive statistics and performed content analysis to analyze the results. This small study included 8 students with a range of technology skills. Usability themes were based on participants' comments on the application's appearance, content, navigation, and functionality. The biggest issues that participants experienced were with navigating the application's "tagging" features during video analysis and the length of educational material. We also observed variations in 2 participants' system usability scores in phase 3. This may be because of their different comfort levels with technology; however, additional research is required. We made iterative refinements to our prototype application (eg, added pop-up messages and provided a narrated video on the application's "tagging" function) based on participant feedback. With increasing engagement in web-based teaching, technology has become an essential medium for receiving health care education. We developed a novel prototype application as a supplemental classroom tool to foster students' self-directed learning of empathy. This study provided direction for refinements to optimize the usability of and satisfaction with this innovative application. Qualitative feedback revealed favorable input toward learning perspective taking place on the web and helpful recommendations for improving user experiences with the application. We could not fully assess the application's key functions owing to the COVID-19 protocols. Thus, our next step is to obtain feedback from a larger sample of student users, whose experiences performing "live" video capture, annotation, and analysis will be more authentic and wholesome with the refined application. We discuss our findings in relation to research on nursing education, perspective taking, and adaptive e-learning.

New Technologies for Project-Based Empathy Learning in Merdeka Belajar (Freedom to Learn): The Use of inaRISK Application and Biopore Technology

The Freedom to Learn curriculum in higher education provides autonomous and flexible learning that is innovative, independent, and relevant to student needs. The use of new technologies such as inaRISK and biopore in project-based consideration learning is thought to be able to improve students' cognitive, affective, and psychomotor abilities. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of using the inaRISK application and biopori technology in project based empathy learning. This research used a mixed method with a research and development (R n D) methods to determine the effectiveness of the learning model, a quasi-experiment to measure cognitive aspects, and applied descriptive statistics to measure affective and psychomotor aspects. To analyze R n D using ADDIE method then cognitive aspects, this research used homogeneity test, normality test, and t-test using SPSS 21 for Windows. The overall analysis (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor aspects) made use of a data sub code system through MAXQDA software, while network analysis was done by using Gephi 0.9.2 software. The results showed that there was a significant and positive influence of the inaRISK application and biopore technology on the students' cognitive, affective, and psychomotor aspects in the project-based consideration learning of Freedom to Learn.

Learning of empathy among first-year medical students

Empathy is one of the core competencies that doctors must possess. Teaching empathy is carried out since students are in undergraduate medical education. One of the learning activities that can be used to improve empathy skills is reflection. Many studies have reported on the empathic abilities of medical students. In addition, there have also been many scientific articles discussing the factors that affect the ability of empathy. However, how medical students learn empathy is still unclear, especially for first-year students who have just been exposed to medical science after graduating from high school. This study aimed to understand how first-year medical students learn empathy. A qualitative study with a phenomenological approach was carried out. We selected randomly, a total of 30 medical student reflection journals were analyzed using content analysis techniques. There are three themes, namely stimulus, process, and effect. Medical students learn empathy driven by internal and external stimuli so that a thinking process occurs through several learning activities. The existence of this stimulus and process influences both the self and the patient/client. The whole process of empathy learning can show how early-year students learn and the factors that influence student empathy learning. This study supports other research that discusses the learning process and factors that affect medical students' empathy. This result can encourage curriculum planners to design appropriate empathy learning for students.

온라인 대학영어 수업에서 CMCA와 공감 능력이 자기 주도적 학습능력과 교수자 신뢰도를 매개로 영어 읽기 성취도에 미치는 영향

This study aimed to investigate how CMCA and empathy influenced on English reading comprehension through the mediated effects of self-directed learning ability and instructor credibility. A small-scale online survey about student characteristics was carried out. Data were collected from 76 college students and 65 students’ responses were analyzed. CMCA showed a direct effect on self-directed learning ability and empathy showed a direct effect on instructor credibility. Self-directed learning ability significantly affected on English reading comprehension. Lastly, the effect of CMCA through the mediated effects of self-directed learning ability and instructor credibility was significantly effective. The results of the study suggested that researchers can take advantage of using teaching strategies to help students decrease CMCA and develop self-directed learning ability to improve English reading comprehension in online English classes.

The importance of empathy in the development of creativity by design thinking

The article presents theoretical considerations on the role of empathy in the development of creativity. The analysis of the scientific literature on this topic allows us to conclude that empathy plays an important role in the development of creativity. The issues of learning empathy in early adulthood and methods of enhancing empathic abilities in relation to the process of education, among others, by the method of design thinking, are discussed.

A Quantitative Enhancement Mechanism of University Students’ Employability and Entrepreneurship Based on Deep Learning in the Context of the Digital Era

This paper adopts a deep learning approach to analyze and study the mechanism of quantitative enhancement of college students’ employment and entrepreneurial abilities in the context of the digital era. The deep learning connotation is predetermined as five abilities, which are metacognitive ability, active communication and cooperation ability, deep processing ability, creative practice ability, and learning empathy experience, and, based on this, the deep learning questionnaire is designed, and it is reclassified by exploratory factor analysis to reduce the dimensionality, and the specific indicators and scientific connotation dimensions of the deep learning questionnaire are determined; and, through the deep learning of each dimension, the problems of deep learning of college students are examined and in-depth analysis is conducted, and the inner relationship and correlation among the dimensions of deep learning of college students are derived through correlation analysis. The success of innovation and entrepreneurship depends on the innovation and entrepreneurial ability of college students, and the formation of the ability influenced various factors. Therefore, not only is studying the influencing factors of college students’ innovation and entrepreneurship ability in line with the requirements of the times and social development, but also it can solve real problems. This thesis adopts a combination of two methods, qualitative research and quantitative research, to study the influencing factors of college students’ innovation and entrepreneurship ability and tries to ensure the scientificity, accuracy, and comprehensiveness of the conclusion. In this paper, we analyzed the requirements of the employment prediction system for graduating secondary school students, carried out the software framework and database design of the employment analysis and prediction system for secondary school students, and designed the system modularly based on the analysis results. By applying the proposed deep feedforward neural network prediction model to the prediction system, a software system applicable to the employment prediction and guidance of secondary school students is implemented.

Creating a Learning Space for Authenticity and Empathy: Book-by-Book

If educators want to create a learning environment that promotes authenticity, empathy must be embedded into instruction. This requires students to understand intersectionality and acknowledge discrimination, condescension or oppression—open or hidden, macro or micro—that people experience day-to-day. In this article, the authors define empathy, present a foundational ideology, and provide examples of children’s and young adult literature that promotes student interaction, learning empathy skills, and awareness of intersectionality and authentic identity. Additionally, the authors discuss two common approaches to empathy, shared emotional response and perspective-taking.

Non-subsumptive memory and narrative empathy

This article shows the relevance of a model of non-subsumptive understanding for theorising memory as a mode of sense-making that can contribute to understanding the other in ethically sustainable ways. It develops a theory of non-subsumptive memory and narrative empathy. While understanding is often seen as a form of appropriation, assimilation, and subsumption of the singular under the general, a hermeneutic approach suggests that there are also non-subsumptive, non-appropriative, dialogical forms of understanding. In dialogue with Jenny Erpenbeck’s novel Gehen, ging, gegangen ( Go, Went, Gone), the article argues that cultural memorial forms, as (narrative) models of sense-making, tend to be productive when they adapt and change as they are applied to new situations and harmful when they subsume new experiences under fixed meaning templates. The article envisages memory as a resource for learning and other-oriented empathy in processes of dialogical understanding.

Creating Compassion: Using Art for Empathy Learning with Urban Youth.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula are being increasingly implemented with young children; however, access to comprehensive programs can be prohibitive for programs limited by finances, time, or other factors. This article describes an exploratory case study that investigates the use of creative activity in the direct promotion of empathy and indirect promotion of other social-emotional skills for early elementary children in an urban-based after-school setting. A novel curriculum, Creating Compassion, which combines art engagement with explicit behavioral instruction, serves as a promising avenue for social-emotional skill development, and has particular importance for children from low-income households. Five children from racially minoritized backgrounds in grades kindergarten and first attended the Creating Compassion group intervention. Group-level data and individual data of direct behavior ratings suggested a modest increase in empathy development, responsible decision-making, and self-management skills and thereby provide a preliminary basis for further effectiveness investigation. Suggestions for future research in this area are discussed in addition to social justice implications.

Ignitions of empathy. Medical students feel touched and shaken by interacting with patients with chronic conditions in communication skills training

ObjectiveTo explore what and how medical students learn from patients with chronic conditions in the context of communication skills training. MethodsSemi-structured interviews and focus groups with 32 medical students. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, analyzed inductively and organized into four main narrative themes. ResultsLearning from patients provided medical students opportunities to see the world through the patients’ eyes, understand the diversity of patients’ needs, and recognize the importance of matching patients’ and doctors’ perspectives. Consequently, students expressed emotional responses on challenges in interactions with the patients related to performing the role as ‘medical expert’. Difficulty empathizing became visible in the students’ interaction with patients. ConclusionThe patients’ authentic contributions provided the students with unique opportunities to engage with their own emotions and capacity for empathy. However, for students to benefit from this affective practical training, they need guidance to balance professional and personal aspects in encounters. There is a need to introduce the ‘doctor as person’ in medical education. Practice implicationsPatients with chronic conditions strengthen students’ learning of empathy as part of transformative learning. Doing so with patients is a challenging way of learning. Thus, faculty and educators must provide explicit guidance for students to benefit.

Model pembelajaran empati untuk membangun sekolah berwawasan multikultural

The purpose of this study is to look at the steps of implementing empathy learning models that can build multicultural schools with insight. The method of research this is literature review with techniques to collect the data from a variety of sources written in the form of books, journals, articles science or literature review. The results of the research it is in the form of design models and the stages of implementation of the model of learning empathy that do teachers and outside the classroom in the form of an attitude accept differences in background behind the social culture of a person. Measurement of learning outcomes of empathy learning models is measured by authentic assessment in the form of observing attitudes and the process of interacting in groups, case studies, performance and portfolio.

Developing young children’s empathic perception through digitally mediated interpersonal experience: Principles for a hybrid design of empathy games

AbstractThere is an emerging concern that modern technology‐saturated environments, particularly computer games, are inhibiting the development of children’s empathic behaviour and social skills. We argue that the solution is embedded in the problem when hybrid learning design blends real‐life social interpersonal interactions with digital representations. We present theory‐informed design principles for creating tablet games with a focus on promoting empathic perception—a building block for the ability to see, sense and understand other’s internal states. Based on these principles, the gameEmpathy Worldwas developed and trialled in a naturalistic three‐month study in an early childhood education setting. Children learned to perceive empathy‐worthy cues in various scenes and interacted with the tablet game to further their perspective‐taking and to associate emotions with social contexts. The findings from this study show an increase in the selective tendency of children’s in‐game perception of empathy‐worthy stimuli and enhanced empathic concern. We argue that future design for learning can utilise the strengths of hybrid design for social development at a larger scale: integrating theoretically informed and rigorously tested digital tools in existing educational and social environments.Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topicResearch has examined various developmental benefits of empathy and shown that empathy can be learnt.Digital games can be productive, easy to scale, tools that support learning.Sound design, based on theory‐informed principles, can improve the effectiveness of digital learning games.What this paper addsIt synthesises theories and research evidence of empathy and its development.It shows how empathy‐related theoretical ideas and evidence were translated into hybrid design principles for developing empathy games and embedding them into children’s social learning environment.It illustrates how theory‐ and evidence‐informed design principles were used to create a digital game to enhance empathic learning of young children in a hybrid technology‐mediated environment.It explores and validates the effectiveness of a hybrid design approach by implementing the digital empathy game in children’s natural learning environment and analysing the data by capturing emerging patterns of development stemming from gameplay.Implications for practice and/or policyPre‐schools could enhance children's empathy learning by integrating specially designed empathy games in existing learning environments.Teachers and parents should be informed about how to create game‐mediated hybrid environments that enhance children’s empathy.

Effectiveness of empathy clinical education for children's nursing students: A quasi-experimental study

BackgroundEmpathy is a central competence for nursing students in delivering compassionate care. Empathy training might improve the communication skills in children's nursing students. ObjectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness of the Knowledge, Simulation, and Sharing training programme on empathy skills among children's nursing students. DesignA controlled pre-post intervention study with a quasi-experimental design. SettingTertiary children's hospital in China. ParticipantsChildren's nursing students (n = 250) in clinical internship. MethodsA Knowledge, Simulation, and Sharing (KSS) module related to empathy learning was developed and tested during a 10-month period in 2017. Nursing students were divided into an experimental group (n = 125) and control group (n = 125). Both groups received the standard internship programme. The experimental group received the KSS training. Outcome measures were: Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professions Student, Clinical Communication Competence Scale and Professional Identity Scale. ResultsAt the end of the internship the experimental groups had significantly higher empathy scores than the control group (114.57 versus 110.36; p = .016). The communication skills improved significantly in the experimental group after the training; experimental group mean 90.22 versus control group mean 87.41 (p = .042). The professional identity scores were significantly higher in the experimental group at the end of the internship compared to the control group (mean 116.43 versus 107.68; p < .001). Subgroup analysis revealed only significant differences on professional identity outcomes between experimental and control groups on diploma level (mean 115.78 versus 107.72; p < .001); and bachelor's level (mean 120.05 versus 108.00; p < .016). ConclusionThe KSS training can enhance empathy and communication skills and the professional identity in children's nursing students. Further long-term effectiveness of the training needs to be tested, ideally with reported outcomes measures of children and parents.