Teaching Emotional Regulation and Awareness Through a Virtual Reality Rhythm Game

Programs designed to promote social-emotional learning (SEL) in high-school students are increasingly being used in schools to facilitate academic and life success, including teaching how to identify and manage emotions. This paper explores the use of VR and drumming in emotional regulation through the development of HeartTune, a VR rhythm game that complements self-awareness and self-management learning. The game is developed with the participation of Coschool, a program in Colombia that uses culturally-appropriate experiences to teach emotional-regulation skills to at-risk youth, and seeks to help students develop skills such as relaxation techniques, emotional expression, and emotional literacy through culturally-situated rhythm gaming.