This study examines how recursive interaction processes and social-emotional learning (SEL) can serve as key mechanisms for collective knowledge construction and professional growth in higher education. Drawing on evidence-based learning principles, the research highlights how reflective collaboration fosters both epistemological awareness and social-emotional competence among students.

Objectives: The study aimed to analyze how recursive group interactions support knowledge creation, curriculum design, and students’ ability to cope with uncertainty and crises in technologically mediated environments.

Methodology: A qualitative approach was employed, based on reflective learning reports from 42 students and six in-depth interviews conducted approximately six months after course completion. Data were analyzed through a three-stage model:

- Selection of recent academic articles (last five years) around an extracurricular topic.
- Collaborative design of a virtual teaching environment that included an engaging introduction, alternative learning activities, and an analytical assessment tool.
- Peer teaching, learning, and reflective assessment loops grounded in SEL skills.

Results: Findings indicate that recursive group interactions promote collective knowledge construction, strengthen students’ epistemological awareness, and enhance both cognitive and social-emotional competence. The collaborative design process improved students’ technological confidence, although limited initial involvement in knowledge building reduced perceived responsibility and growth for some participants.

Conclusions: Recursive interaction, combined with SEL, provides a flexible framework for designing online learning environments that prepare students to face uncertainty and rapid change. The study underscores both the opportunities and challenges of integrating recursive, evidence-based, and socially grounded pedagogies into curriculum design.

Keywords: Recursive Interaction Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Collective Knowledge Construction Curriculum Design Epistemological Awareness