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Revealing Authentic Teacher Professional Development Using Situated Learning in Virtual Environments as a Teaching Tool
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to demonstrate if and how pre-service teachers form pedagogic identities while participating in simulated professional development activities using two Internet-based virtual environments, Second Life and Skype. To reveal the pre-service teachers’ pedagogic identity development, an exploratory case study (Yin, 2008) was conducted through which data were gathered from 4 interactive episodes as well as from face-to-face debriefings and personal reflective statements that occurred between the episodes. The findings of this study suggested the positive potential of using virtual environments to enable pedagogic transformations among pre-service teacher participants with appropriate considerations acknowledged for teaching audience, developmental goals, and venue of instruction.
... The literature reviews of SL during this time included the effectiveness and impact of SL in ITE; and how SL has been used to augment field experiences for pre-service teachers. The empirical/descriptive studies focused on SL in teaching and learning (Blankenship & Kim, 2012;Gregory & Masters, 2012), role play and professional experience (Cho et al., 2015), simulation teaching practice (Ke et al., 2016), collaborative learning (Kim & Blankenship, 2013;Mørch et al., 2018), the role of SL in teacher professional development (Cho et al., 2015), application of SL for rural and remote teachers (Gregory et al., 2014), the use of SL for foreign language education (Tuncer & Simsek, 2015) and student experiences and perceptions of SL (Masters et al., 2015;Mørch et al., 2018). ...
... Limitations of SL literature were described as difficulties accepting or relocating real-life experiences within a virtual environment (Blankenship & Kim, 2012) and scepticism in translating real worlds within virtual contexts (Guzzetti & Stokrocki, 2013). In addition to issues transferring and accepting real world contexts in virtual worlds, the majority of concerns centred on technical difficulties with interface, hardware and software issues (Muir et al., 2013;. ...
... To contextualise this within an Australian context, the authors are aware of only 5 out of 39 teacher education programs in Australia using simulation in the delivery of their ITE programs. Is it easier to maintain the status quo for teacher education programs rather than adopt new technologies as discussed in 2012 by Blankenship and Kim, (2012). Concern, anxiety and costs involved in learning and implementing new technologies continue to restrict the uptake of simulated platforms in ITE. ...
Simulation-based learning (SBL) has been trialed and embedded in many disciplines and professions over many years to practice complex skills before embarking on real-life applications. Much research has confirmed the benefits of SBL and found simulations are among the most effective means to facilitate the learning of complex skills across domains. Yet, despite this evidence-based support for SBL, teacher education continues to be slow to adopt and embed SBL within their programs. This paper compares literature on two of the longest and widest adopted simulated programs in teacher education, Second Life and simSchool —to gain insight into the research types, findings and reasons for limited implementation. The findings support previously confirmed pedagogical benefits of SBL increasing student self-efficacy and reveal commonalities and differences between the two simulated platforms and a lack of adoption of SBL that centres around costs, accessibility and technical issues. The findings are positioned in practice-theory literature and highlight SBL’s ability to provide preservice teachers with a ‘third space’ where theory can be practiced, rehearsed and reviewed virtually before real classroom transference occurs. We offer recommendations that will stimulate future research and support wider adoption of SBL in Initial Teacher Education (ITE).
... Over the course of the last decade, the rapid emergence of virtual schools across the educational landscape has not only created a need for a new category of teacher, that is, the online educator, but also it has highlighted a pressing need for new models of professional development for educators who are called on to teach in online classrooms (Blankenship & Kim, 2012). Ukpokodu (2009) emphasizes the importance of effective professional development programs for online teachers since these programs influence the pedagogical strategies the teachers will employ in their virtual classes which in turn have an impact on student outcomes. ...
... An essential starting point in designing a professional development program for online instructors is a clear understanding of the knowledge and skills that are specifically associated with effective pedagogy in the virtual classroom setting and how these strategies compare to those employed in a conventional classroom environment (DiPietro & Sivy, 2011). In terms of professional development in general, Blankenship and Kim (2012) clearly demonstrated that traditional models of professional development have been ineffective because these models generally responded to institutional requirements first without providing authentic and meaningful learning opportunities for the teachers themselves. This is a pivotal issue since virtual schools are regularly faced with the challenge of training teachers from the face-toface environment to teach in a virtual classroom environment; however, it is also critical to note that most programs do not adequately prepare these teachers as the emphasis in the majority of the professional development programs has been upon the use of related technology and not on pedagogy and online methodology (Barrett, 2010;Faulkner-Beitzel, 2008). ...
... There is considerable evidence that many professional development programs provided to teachers fail because they deliver knowledge and information which is not meaningfully situated or contextualized (Bell & Morris, 2009). Effective professional development programs have typically integrated authentic, realworld situations which incorporate collaborative work and which are sustained over a period of time (Blankenship & Kim, 2012;MacDonald, 2008;Zhang & Watts, 2008). Professional training which is specific to online teachers involves a defined set of challenges which range from technology integration to the modification of classroom pedagogy to fit the virtual environment which lends itself to the development and use of cognitive and social constructivism (Palloff & Pratt, 2011;Powell & Kalina, 2009). ...
Recent research has shown that educational games positively motivate learning. However, there is a little evidence that they can trigger learning to a large extent if the game-play is supported by additional activities. We aim to support educational games development with an Agent-Based Technology (ABT) by using intelligent pedagogical agents that can intervene to offer hints, assistance and suggestions when the learner is lacking knowledge, but does not intervene otherwise, so as not to interrupt game flow. In this paper we describe the possibilities of using pedagogical agents to infer learner’s motivation and emotional state as they allow communication and interaction in a digital learning environment. Our approach emphasizes on improving pedagogical agent interactivity: from pedagogical agent techniques to Tutor and Tutee Agents’ techniques to create a high social and collaborative Digital Educational Game (DEG) environment.
... In a virtual platform with the synchronous digital medium in comparison to then asynchronous mode, the consistency of effective articulation and sustained communication and clarity of authentic engagement with learning task not only ensure active engagement of the learner but also guarantee the successful completion of the assignment and subsequently the specific course of learning (Sun et al., 2014). Educationists agree that there is an emergency of a unique model for capacity building of educators called on to teach in digital tool mediated virtual classrooms (Blankenship & Kim, 2012). However, as far as in-depth research is concerned, the input of practicing teachers is extremely inadequate (Kinshuk, Hui-Wen, Sampson, & Chen, 2013). ...
... Whatever the context, educationists believe that an organized research endeavor is needed that could be able to retrace 'teacher education practice and learning as a complex, relational, and interactive process' (Strom & Martin, 2017). Considering the changing landscape of learning teaching in the neo-techno-societal era, Blankenship & Kim (2012) highlighted the need for a unique design of professional development for teachers to adapt and deliver in a virtual classroom. Because the capacity building of teachers for virtual teaching-learning is a way of teachers' professional learning, Palloff and Pratt (2011) mentioned the uniqueness of the virtual environment and the related technological relevance. ...
... Only a competent teacher should have the ability to create learning materials as per the need of the course structure with assistive technology (Li, 2009). Therefore, effective capacity-building programs demand integration of authentic, real-world situations incorporation of collaboration that is likely to sustain for a long (Blankenship & Kim, 2012 Finally, in a country like India, where a "digital partition" has come up between learner's communities in the last four months (Parth, 2020). A hole can be made in the partition through asynchronous learning strategies deployed by teachers. ...
Due to the spread of the pandemic COVID-19 across the world since December 2019, every sector, field, and organization has faced a severe lockdown. The education sector that was following the traditional method of learning has been affected worst. The interaction between the instructor and learner was not possible in such a situation. Their learning process was completely stopped due to social distancing during the lockdown. However, the educational institutions running on the virtual model could continue to work and promote learning. Viewing the uninterrupted teaching-learning process of such institutions in this scenario, the traditional institution also tried to adopt the virtual learning mode. Apart from the advantages, numerous virtual (online) mode challenges hinder the effectiveness and learning outcomes. These obstacles of the virtual (online) mode of learning can be removed primarily when they are identified. So, the first and foremost objective to overcome these obstacles is to find them. This chapter attempts to elaborate on various facets of these challenges: technical, Economic, Security, Practical or Experimental, Assessment or Evaluation, etc.
... Over the course of the last decade, the rapid emergence of virtual schools across the educational landscape has not only created a need for a new category of teacher, that is, the online educator, but also it has highlighted a pressing need for new models of professional development for educators who are called on to teach in online classrooms (Blankenship & Kim, 2012). Ukpokodu (2009) emphasizes the importance of effective professional development programs for online teachers since these programs influence the pedagogical strategies the teachers will employ in their virtual classes which in turn have an impact on student outcomes. ...
... An essential starting point in designing a professional development program for online instructors is a clear understanding of the knowledge and skills that are specifically associated with effective pedagogy in the virtual classroom setting and how these strategies compare to those employed in a conventional classroom environment (DiPietro & Sivy, 2011). In terms of professional development in general, Blankenship and Kim (2012) clearly demonstrated that traditional models of professional development have been ineffective because these models generally responded to institutional requirements first without providing authentic and meaningful learning opportunities for the teachers themselves. This is a pivotal issue since virtual schools are regularly faced with the challenge of training teachers from the face-toface environment to teach in a virtual classroom environment; however, it is also critical to note that most programs do not adequately prepare these teachers as the emphasis in the majority of the professional development programs has been upon the use of related technology and not on pedagogy and online methodology (Barrett, 2010;Faulkner-Beitzel, 2008). ...
... There is considerable evidence that many professional development programs provided to teachers fail because they deliver knowledge and information which is not meaningfully situated or contextualized (Bell & Morris, 2009). Effective professional development programs have typically integrated authentic, realworld situations which incorporate collaborative work and which are sustained over a period of time (Blankenship & Kim, 2012;MacDonald, 2008;Zhang & Watts, 2008). Professional training which is specific to online teachers involves a defined set of challenges which range from technology integration to the modification of classroom pedagogy to fit the virtual environment which lends itself to the development and use of cognitive and social constructivism (Palloff & Pratt, 2011;Powell & Kalina, 2009). ...
Digital educational games (DEGs) possess the ability of providing an attractively and essentially motivating learning context. However, an adaptive learning game would increase the probability of a DEG being actually motivating and emotionally appealing. A pedagogical agent-based environment suggests a new opportunity for computer mediated learning emphasizing virtual social relations between learners and computers. The overall goal of this work is to provide pedagogical agents with social intelligence, so that they can decide when is an appropriate time to interact with the learner, be sensitive to the motivational and emotional state of the learner, and try to develop a positive social relationship with the learner. The study examine the effects of the competency (low vs. high) and interaction type (proactive vs. responsive) of pedagogical agents as learning companions (PALs) on learning, self-efficacy, and attitudes. Interactions are been analyzed as a series of interaction tactics, where the speaker seeks to address one or more informational, motivational, or social goals, and monitors the listener's response to ensure that these goals are achieved. This is followed by brief look at Affective Human Agent Interaction to have Existing agent systems typically infer human affect by sensing and reasoning about the state of a game or an outcome related to an action taken by the user within the learning environment.
... Findings presented in the empirical studies documented some of the limitations of using simulation platforms in teaching and learning. Blankenship and Kim (2012) for example, described the difficulties involved in relocating traditional face-to-face training in a virtual environment, particularly with respect to the time and cost issues involved in reconceptualising teacher training (6). Similarly, Guzzetti and Stokrocki (2013) argued that virtual worlds are viewed with scepticism and are poorly understood, creating difficulties for teacher education in translating existing models to virtual worlds (9). ...
... Our analysis of the articles shows the benefits of Second Life in meeting specific educational goals of teacher education such as collaboration, skill development and reflective practice. In addition, Second Life can create new opportunities for pre-service teachers to reflect and link knowledge to the real world (Badilla-Quintana et al., 2017;Blankenship & Kim, 2012;Gregory & Masters, 2012;Teoh, 2012). In particular, eXtended reality platforms such as SL offer both opportunities and challenges for ITE providers in facilitating a learning environment that may help pre-service teachers develop pedagogies of practice through representations, decomposition and approximations of practice (Grossman, 2009), and these are discussed in turn below. ...
Despite evidence promoting simulation platforms as effective modes of learning, virtual simulation is underutilised in Australian Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs, and as such, casts doubt on the sustainability of next generation simulation platforms. As a case example, we present findings from a systematic review of the literature on the benefits and limitations of Second Life as one of the most widely adopted simulation platforms used in ITE. We reveal salient issues from the literature on Second Life in teacher education that may provide key insight into the sustainability of future simulation platforms in ITE. Grossman's (2009) Pedagogies of practice are used to frame the discussion and offer insight into the opportunities and challenges for educators facilitated by simulation platforms. We recommend broad-based research to capture the transformative pedagogical qualities of simulation platforms and call for an exploration into education policies that both hinder and help the adaptation of next generation simulation platforms within initial teacher education.
... Social networks are ways of expanding knowledge through connections among individuals with common interests (Boyd & Ellison, 2007;Dabbagh & Reo, 2011;Gunawardena et al., 2009), and help professional development (Bartlett-Bragg, 2008;Blankenship & Deoksoon, 2012;Stuckey & Arkell, 2006). They are one of the main forms of online communication (Tiryakioglu & Erzurum, 2011) and provide opportunities for people to relate and collaborate, share experiences and thoughts, produce, distribute and aggregate information (Bartlett-Bragg, 2008;Stuckey & Arkell, 2006). ...
... The challenge is to incorporate these new approaches in educational practice while being aware of the implications of its use (Schroeder, Minocha & Schneider, 2010). Results of empirical studies concerning the use of web tools in education focus on the analysis of its strengths and limitations in formal teaching situations (Arnold & Paulus, 2010;Blankenship & Deoksoon, 2012;Brady, Holcomb & Smith, 2010;Hung & Yuen, 2010;Minocha, Schroeder & Schneider, 2011;Reich, Levinson & Johnston, 2011;Veletsianos & Navarrete, 2012). These empirical results are still insufficient for a thorough understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Social Networks and Social Software, particularly in situations of non-formal or informal learning. ...
This study aimed to analyze how the Social Software tools could respond to the needs of parents and teachers of students with multiple disabilities in improving their practices, as well as provide information and resources related to the topic of multiple disabilities. The study was implemented in Portugal and involved 45 participants: 25 special education teachers, 5 regular education teachers, and 15 parents of children with multiple disabilities. Using the NING platform, we built a social network, which we set in motion by creating online spaces to share experiences and thoughts. These spaces sought to respond to the needs and difficulties reported by the participants. We adopted a Design-Based Research methodology and used several data collection methods and analysis techniques. The results showed that several dimensions were crucial to create this Social Network, such as the tools, the moderation and the management of the social network and the participation of the teachers and parents involved. It also confirmed that the flexibility of the tools used led to the development of a stimulating environment that allowed sharing experiences and knowledge about multiple disabilities. The teachers' participation revealed progress over time. The most active participants assumed attitudes of creator and critic, whereas the roles of collector, spectator and inactive were taken on by those with a more passive attitude. The teachers exhibited more active attitudes than parents. The teachers' assessment of the social network was positive for all the aspects under study and they felt that their participation had a significant impact on teaching practices. Results indicate that parents did not actively get involved in the social network, which shows that virtual contacts may not properly serve their needs. We infer that parents need a different approach, more focused on supporting and less on learning. Overall, the study indicated that the Social Software allowed co-created knowledge among teachers, sharing of experiences, thoughts and resources, along with supporting better connections and cooperative learning. Nevertheless, such co-creation can only be achieved if participants take an active role in the use of the Social Network.
... Based on their broad literature search in 2008, hew and cheung (2010) found that only 15 out of 470 articles about teaching and learning in virtual worlds qualified as empirical research. in a review of the literature, Nussli and Oh (2014) identified only 21 empirical and theoretical articles with a focus on teacher education in the use of virtual worlds published between 2002 and 2012. in 2012 and 2013, for instance, only few peer-reviewed articles were identified that revolve around teacher education in the use of virtual worlds (e.g., Blankenship & Kim, 2012;Gregory & Masters, 2012;Guzzetti & stokrocki, 2013;O'connor, 2012-2013. despite the popularity and unique affordances (dalgarno & lee, 2010) of virtual worlds among educators, few systematic attempts have been made to provide virtual worlds teacher training (Guzzetti & stokrocki, 2013). ...
... One of the few empirical articles where pre-service teachers used a virtual world as a tool to examine 3d technologies in order to enhance their pedagogy was described in campbell (2009). another example was provided by Blankenship and Kim (2012) who examined if and how pre-service teachers (re)shape their pedagogic identities while immersed in professional development using sl and skype. additionally, Kopp and Burkle (2010) explored the potential of sl as a learning and training space and also explored the various roles of virtual tutors. ...
The purpose of this mixed methods study was to enculturate pre-service teachers into Second Life (SL), a three-dimensional immersive virtual world, and to measure their change in attitude towards the potential of SL for education. By completing collaborative assignments in SL, nineteen pre-service general education teachers explored an educational, marine biology island in SL and evaluated its potential for incorporation in general and special education curricula. A pre- and post-survey inquired about the participants’ perception of the usability of virtual worlds for education. Participants collaboratively explored the marine ecosystem of the Abyss Observatory (Nishimura, Lim, & Koyamada, 2012), reflected on its unique affordances, and designed activities for an inclusive classroom, framed by a pedagogical rationale. The difference between the participants’ two attitude scores generated by the pre- and post-survey was calculated and was found to be statistically significant with a large effect size. Results suggest that this 7-Step Virtual Worlds Teacher Training Workshop had a positive impact on the participants’ attitude towards integration of SL into teaching. Five themes emerged with regards to the unique affordances of the Abyss Observatory’s deep-sea area. Finally, the “Teacher-Prep Virtual World Six-Step Model” for effective pre-service teacher preparation for teaching in SL was developed.
... Pojavilo se stručno usavršavanje u digitalnom okruženju kao odgovor na sve probleme u tradicionalnom usavršavanju u fizičkom okruženju, pri čemu su njegove mogućnosti skalabilnije u odnosu na navedena usavršavanja (Dede i sur., 2008). Tradicionalni oblici stručnog usavršavanja postaju neučinkoviti jer uglavnom odgovaraju institucionalnim zahtjevima, pri čemu nedostaje autentičnih mogućnosti učenja (Blankenship i Kim, 2012). Stručno usavršavanje u digitalnom okruženju potiče suradničko učenje (Ostashewski i sur., 2011), neovisno o vremenu, prostoru, materijalnim uvjetima, prijašnjim aktivnosti, identitetu, prethodnim znanjima, sklonostima i očekivanjima, pri čemu učitelji/sudionici trebaju usvajati ne samo sadržaje, već i usavršavati digitalne i komunikacijske kompetencije (Syaifudin, 2016). ...
... Although most of the articles were situated in small classes and examined either discussion boards as a means of asynchronous learning and text or video chat tools as a means of synchronous learning, there were also articles that examined various other tools and less common course configurations through which discourse and thus intersubjectivity might occur. Wikis (Antoniadou, 2011;Larusson & Alterman, 2009;Pifarré & Kleine Staarman, 2011) and blogs (Alterman & Larusson, 2013) serve as platforms for co-writing and commenting, whereas Second Life (Blankenship & Kim, 2012) provides avatar-based, real-time interaction. One study was situated in a massively open online courses (MOOCs) (Kaul et al., 2018), considering how intersubjectivity might be apparent in learning experiences that occur at scale. ...
Many online learning experiences integrate some form of dialogic interaction among instructors and learners. However, the degree to which these individuals come to a mutual understanding of their task and topic, a phenomenon called intersubjectivity, often remains a question. This systematic review of online learning research examines 48 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2004 and 2021, looking at the overall trajectory of the research conversation across time, disciplines, modality and learning activities; major trends in methods, and focus; and interconnectedness. Findings suggest a dispersed body of literature, with some small groups of interconnected work but little cohesion or traction as a research field. This review has implications for future researchers in this area, who are encouraged to synthesize across this body of research and work together to establish and pursue an agenda for the field that will not only further inquiry in this area but also lead to practical knowledge about learning activity design and facilitation that is useful to online instructors.
... A virtual environment is a place that provides Internet-based interaction and collaboration such as video conference, or it can be interpreted as a virtual world that is presented in the configuration on the VR device [12,13,24,25]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of online platform meetings like video conferences such as Google Meet for distance learning purposes at a university has a good acceptance from the view of the ease of use as well as the benefits felt for students [14]. ...
This study describes the design of a Virtual Reality (VR) application for distance learning purposes from the lecturer’s perspective during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Previous research illustrated that virtual reality could be applied to the learning process
in the classroom. Researchers used to make applications that can be used with the video
conference platform, commonly used during a pandemic, to make it easier to reach students. The evaluation involved 18 faculty members in the Faculty of Computer Science
to check the usefulness of each virtual reality function in two different scenarios, namely
the teaching scenarios using controllers and hand tracking. The results showed significantly better results in virtual reality scenes where the controller was used for teaching
scenarios.
... Discussions on the concept and recommendations for best or excellent teaching have previously focused primarily on classroom strategies, physical structures and seating arrangements that range from clustered, varied and functional (Lubawy, 2003). Other studies exhort multi-modal styles of instruction and response, students at the centre of the learning process, activity centred learning experiences for students, the teacher "engaged" with students and students "engaged" in work (Blankenship & Kim, 2012). Teachers have been encouraged to implement an integrated curriculum, promote differentiation and provide active learning opportunities (e.g. ...
How teachers adapt to change and embrace emerging technologies and pedagogical innovation have been topics for debate for some time, with much emphasis on the impact of external influences, access to resources and demographics and less on the characteristics of the individual and their adaptability. This research study investigated the characteristics of educators who appear to embrace innovation and change, tolerate ambiguity and have a broad sense of perspective. It considered those who seemingly thrive amongst the chaos of learning, giving students what they need, when they need it - the “seize the day ” or “agile ” teacher. The focus was primarily from a socio-cultural perspective, exploring practices, social, cultural and environmental factors affecting agile teachers.
The study considered the following questions:
• What are the characteristics of “agile” teachers?
• Who are the “agile” teachers?
• Why do “agile” teachers teach the way they do?
The research design was qualitative, using a grounded theory approach to identify and describe the characteristics of teachers, who demonstrate this adaptability. The study explored the factors that influence the emergence of “agile” characteristics and practices, the methodologies and strategies that influence adaptability, and the relationship between the development of agile characteristics and the use of emerging technologies. The foundation for the study was the interplay between technology, pedagogy and innovation, focusing on the premise and understanding that innovation is the renewal or creation of processes that are effective and add value to existing practices. The study investigated the diversity in the characteristics exhibited by “agile” teachers. And sought to elicit the narrative of the agile practitioner, using visual metaphor as a stimulus for discussion utilising asynchronous online interviews and teacher reflections. Participants reflected on personal practices, pedagogical implications and the influence of technologies, reflecting the connections between experiences, practice and agile adaptations.
The findings of the study reveal the complexities of identifying the characteristics of the agile practitioner and the implications for practice and educational professional learning. In particular, they reveal the personalised understandings and reflections of agile practice, beliefs of others about the “agile” teacher and the association of social perceptions towards “great” teachers. This study has identified a new descriptor for the exemplary teacher, the term “agile”, and has given insight into how and what the agile teacher or practitioner thinks, as well as what they do and say. The agile teacher generates an autopoietic practice where re-engineering and reconceptualising self occurs, enabling adaptation to changing pedagogical contexts, emerging digital technologies and the individual learning narrative of students.
... Research suggests that teachers may have difficulties in developing comfort with this technology (e.g. Blankenship and Kim, 2012;Inman, 2010). From 2001 through 2012, identified 21 articles reporting on virtual worlds teacher training. ...
Eighteen special education teachers explored one prominent example of three-dimensional virtual worlds, namely Second Life. This study aimed to (a) determine their perception of the effectiveness of a systematic 7-Step Virtual Worlds Teacher Training workshop in terms of enabling them to make informed decisions about the usability of virtual worlds for students with social skills challenges and (b) determine whether there was a teacher change of attitude resulting from engagement in this systematic workshop. The seven steps are described in detail. The teachers’ change of attitude was statistically significant with a large effect size. The teachers’ feedback on the effectiveness of the training program resulted in 14 practical guidelines, which informed the revised 4-Step Virtual Worlds Teacher Training model that can be used both in general and special education with minor adjustments depending on the teacher and student population.
... Some examples are the mixed reality TeachMe (see Andreasen et al. 2008), the 2-D immersive environment simSchool (see Badiee and Kaufman, 2014), or the lowfi simulation ClassSim (Carrington, Kervin, & Ferry, 2011). Commercial MUVEs have also been customized for teacher training purposes (See Blankenship & Kim, 2012;Calandra & Puvirajah, 2013;Cheong, 2010;Muir, Allen, Rayner & Cleland, 2013;Perez-Garcia, 2009). ...
Practicing teaching is an important aspect of teacher education, however, its implementation can be limited due to the constraints and risks related to practicing in actual schools. There is evidence in the literature of Multi User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) being used as spaces for training, especially in fields where the costs associated with making a mistake are high. Less has been written on their use for teachers’ professional development. This paper adds to the literature on teacher preparation and the use of MUVEs for professional development in a unique way by presenting a rationale and theoretical basis for why MUVEs might be a viable, alternative space for a range of teacher practice experiences.
... Although the sample of twelve participants is small (N=12), it seems adequate compared with similar studies. The sample sizes in studies with similar purposes (e.g., Annetta et al., 2008;Blankenship & Kim, 2012;Dickey, 2011;Edirisingha et al., 2009;Gamage et al., 2011;Good et al., 2008;O'Connor, 2009O'Connor, -2010O'Connor & Sakshaug, 2008Omale et al., 2009;Silva et al., 2010;Storey & Wolf, 2010) range from two to 41, with only three studies having more than 13 participants. Finally, although the special education teachers in the present study explored SL exclusively, it can be assumed that the results can be generalized to other comparable 3D immersive virtual environments due to the similarity of features, namely an interactive, open-ended environment with avatars for visual representations of the users and a chat tool for communication. ...
This study offers recommendations and a model for other teacher educators who are interested in training teachers in the use of three-dimensional (3D) immersive virtual worlds (IVWs) for their own teaching. Twelve special education teachers collaboratively explored the usability of Second Life (SL) for special education by completing a full inquiry cycle to develop the ability to make informed decisions about the affordances and challenges of virtual world teaching and to help identify effective components for virtual worlds teacher training. Ten educational SL islands were explored critically. Mixed-methods data analysis and triangulation were based on the analysis and synthesis of a preliminary survey, a mid-reflection after several virtual explorations, the collaborative analysis of an existing SL lesson plan, the collaborative development of a SL lesson plan, a post-reflection, and a post-survey. Several key benefits of 3D IVWs for special education students emerged from the qualitative analyses, namely social skills practice, collaborative learning towards a joint goal with a competitive element, and increased motivation to participate, especially for topics that would otherwise be perceived as boring. The qualitative data informed the development of guidelines for virtual worlds teacher training and the elements of an ideal SL island designed for special education. The change of attitude towards the usability of virtual worlds in education as a result of the workshop was not statistically significant.
This research will aim to closely examine the role of digital technology in teacher professional development. It will investigate the existing models of professional development in non-digital/face- to-face environments and compare them with the model of teacher professional development in a digital environment. The research will attempt to identify the problems faced by teachers in professional development mediated by digital technology. A qualitative research methodology will be used, with qualitative methods of data collection and analysis, including focus groups of teachers and narrative interviews with teachers. The research will be based on the paradigm of critical theory and the constructivist approach. The results of the research will aim to better explain the model of teacher professional development in a digital environment in the Republic of Croatia, organized by the Ministry of Science and Education and the Agency for Education, describe the differences compared to the previous faceto-face professional development model, determine the reasons for individual resistance to the digital environment model, and confirm how digital technology can mediate in teacher professional development.
In recent years, the use and popularity of virtual environments and 3D virtual games in education have been increasing. In addition, virtual environments where people can meet and shop have started to be preferred day by day. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic crisis has brought some changes in the education system. The environments in which teaching takes place have rapidly changed to cover a broad audience. In this case, different situations arise in the design process of the virtual learning environment made in the Metaverse environment. In this chapter, a systematic and bibliometric analysis of the concept of the Metaverse and the gamification applications created in virtual world environments associated with this concept in virtual environment design has been carried out. In this study, a systematic review of the use of Metaverse environments as an educational environment, the preferred techniques, and the criteria considered was carried out and was completed in seven stages. PRISMA guidelines were used as the reporting method. Within the scope of the research, only applied research is carried out in the field of education, including the concepts of “Virtual World”, “Second Life”, “Multi-user virtual environments (MUVE)”, and “Social MUVE”, in the databases of ERIC, Web of Science, Tr Index for the years 2010–2022 were included. In the first stage, 342 studies were accessed, and 52 studies that met the selection criteria were included in the analysis. The articles were examined in the context of the title, abstract, keyword, method, type of application used, application area, and findings. In this context, the literature was reviewed, the studies in the last 10 years were examined, and the historical development of the Metaverse, its applications in education, and suggestions for future studies were presented.
This chapter explores the process of preparing BC teachers in the use of 3D virtual world technologies to design personalized learning and flexible learning environments. It aims to prepare teachers to effectively use 3D virtual worlds as a pedagogical and professional tool to achieve greater educational outcomes. Numerous studies have explored technology and teacher education. But few of them have examined preparing teachers for challenging technologies such as 3D virtual worlds. This chapter provides a practical framework related to technology and teacher education. Looking across the process, we discern teachers' external and internal barriers that may influence teachers' willingness of the use of 3D virtual worlds in education. We argue that both teachers' external barriers and internal barriers are critical to successful technology integration.
This volume constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 4th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Network, iLRN 2018, held in Missoula, MT, USA, in June 2018.
The 12 revised full papers and the two revised short papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 57 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on environmental sciences, climate change, immersive technologies; immersive technologies in cultural heritage; immersive technologies in primary and secondary education; games and game design.
Preservice teachers have a difficult time bridging theory and practice, particularly when some course work is theory intense, like Child and Human Development. Proponents of clinical practice and field experiences for teacher candidates suggest that more practice in real world contexts is essential to learning to become a teacher. These are not always available, and sometimes, alternatives need to be considered. This paper describes the design and implementation of a learning experience that provides one alternative. What is proposed is an approach to problem-based learning that utilizes ill-structured problems set in a virtual environment designed to simulate a real school. Justification for the design include contextually based simulations from Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model of Human Development, and relevant constructs found in the literature on problem based learning, ill-structured problems, and the use of multi-user virtual environments. Lessons learned from the first iteration include design updates and instructional considerations for strengthening the bridge from theory to practice.
The overarching question that guides this review is to identify the key components of effective teacher training in the use of three-dimensional (3D) immersive virtual worlds (IVWs) for learning and instruction purposes. The process of identifying the essential components of effective teacher training in the use of 3D IVWs will be described step-by-step. First, the need of virtual teacher training will be established (why), followed by the identification of the required teaching skills. Next, existing empirical guidelines for teaching in 3D IVWs will be presented from which the skills required for effective teaching in 3D IVWs will be extrapolated (what). The final step (how) will consist of presenting teachers with compelling evidence of the unique affordances of 3D IVWs for education, with the goal to promote teachers’ commitment to the use of 3D IVWs. Implications will be relevant for teacher educators, pre- and in-service teachers, administrators, principals, and instructional designers.
Since there are lags in the research of teaching physical environment, the findings and applications of the teaching environment has been seriously affected. However, with the development of modern information technology, the denotation and contains of the teaching physical environment has been changed radically. Finding the ways of adapting to the development and building sound teaching physical environment has great significance on the improvement and application of teaching theory.
Much of what is regarded as effective professional learning is that which is situated, incorporates a social dimension and enables practitioners to converge in and around authentic practice. This article describes an inter-university online learning resource for tutors which is underpinned by a practice based approach to professional learning. The emphasis is on seeing authentic, discipline specific practice via a large bank of multimedia clips of experienced tutors and reflection on that action through the incorporation of reflective triggers. Evaluation suggests a fruitful way forward for supporting learning at work.
This article illustrates the significance of teachers' emotions in the construction of teacher identity by invoking a poststructuralist lens in discussing the place of emotion in identity formation. In suggesting a poststructuralist perspective of emotions and teacher identity, it is argued that teacher identity is constantly becoming in a context embedded in power relations, ideology, and culture. In theorizing about teacher identity two ideas are developed: first, that the construction of teacher identity is at bottom affective, and is dependent upon power and agency, i.e., power is understood as forming the identity and providing the very condition of its trajectory; and second, that an investigation of the emotional components of teacher identity yields a richer understanding of the teacher self. This discussion is motivated by a desire to develop analyses that investigate how teachers' emotions can become sites of resistance and self-transformation. The emphasis on understanding the teacher-self through an exploration of emotion opens possibilities for the care and the self-knowledge of teachers and provides spaces for their transformation.
Recent explorations in L2 pedagogy signal a shift away from the conventional concept of method toward a “postmethod condition” that can potentially refigure the relationship between theorizers and teachers by empowering teachers with knowledge, skill, and autonomy. So empowered, teachers could devise for themselves a systematic, coherent, and relevant alternative to method, one informed by principled pragmatism. The postmethod condition can also reshape the character and content of L2 teaching, teacher education, and classroom research. In practical terms, it motivates a search for an open-ended, coherent framework based on current theoretical, empirical, and pedagogical insights that will enable teachers to theorize from practice and practice what they theorize. This paper explores one such framework consisting of 10 macrostrategies, based on which teachers can design varied and situation-specific microstrategies or classroom techniques to effect desired learning outcomes. The paper maintains that the framework can be used to transform classroom practitioners into strategic teachers as well as strategic researchers.
Discoursing, the use of language in interaction with others, plays a part in almost every human activity. Indeed, some have argued that it is discoursing that has made possible the cumulative development of culture over the course of our species' history. Whether or not that is correct, there can be no question that the ability, with the aid of linguistic discourse, to coordinate action, and to reflect together on the relationship between actions and their intended and achieved results, has been an essential contributor. The question is, How should we theorize the relationship between discoursing and the forms of joint activity in which it occurs? At the present time, not only do we not have an answer to this question but the question has hardly been addressed within activity theory. My aim in this article is to offer some suggestions that may help to advance this project. To this end, I put forward and attempt to justify the argument that discourse always functions to mediate the action in which it serves as an operational means and that the distinctions that need to be made between different kinds of discourse can best be handled with the conceptual tools of genre theory.
An increasingly large number of users connect to virtual worlds on a regular basis to conduct activities ranging from gaming to business meetings. In all these worlds, users project themselves into the environment via an avatar: a 3D body which they control and whose appearance is often customizable. However, considering the prevalence of this form of embodiment, there is a surprising lack of data about how and why users customize their avatar, as well as how easy and satisfying the existing avatar creation tools are. In this paper, we report on a study investigating these issues through a questionnaire administered to more than a hundred users of three virtual worlds offering widely different avatar creation and customization systems (Maple Story, World of Warcraft, and Second Life). We illustrate the often-surprising choices users make when creating their digital representation and discuss the impact of our findings for the design of future avatar creation systems.
Rev.& expanded from Case study research in education,1988.Incl.bibliographical references,index
This paper provides a framework for developing sampling designs in mixed methods research. First, we present sampling schemes that have been associated with quantitative and qualitative research. Second, we discuss sample size considerations and provide sample size recommendations for each of the major research designs for quantitative and qualitative approaches. Third, we provide a sampling design typology and we demonstrate how sampling designs can be classified according to time orientation of the components and relationship of the qualitative and quantitative sample. Fourth, we present four major crises to mixed methods research and indicate how each crisis may be used to guide sampling design considerations. Finally, we emphasize how sampling design impacts the extent to which researchers can generalize their findings. Key Words: Sampling Schemes, Qualitative Research, Generalization, Parallel Sampling Designs, Pairwise Sampling Designs, Subgroup Sampling Designs, Nested Sampling Designs, and Multilevel Sampling Designs
This paper, recognizes how as the Information Age evolves, our society is undergoing massive changes that have tremendous impact on our educational systems. Advances in information technology, coupled with the changes in society, are creating new paradigms for education. Participants in this new educational paradigm require rich learning environments supported by well‐designed resources (Reigeluth and Khan, 1994). The Web, as a medium of learning and instruction, has the potential to support the creation of well‐designed resources, such as Web‐based instruction (WBI), which is discussed here.
This editorial considers recent developments towards understanding of knowledge and learning in networked environments. It identifies related opportunities and challenges for teacher education.
Multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) were explored for for teaching and learning, particularly with regard to pupils' motivation and participation. The main program objective was to develop in-service and future teachers' competencies and skills so that they can contribute, by their innovative practice, to solutions that increase learners' motivation and participation in key fields of common interest in Europe. MUVEnation addresses the need to train future teachers so they will be capable of using emergent technologies for enhanced learning (TEL) in responding to socio-cultural and technological challenges of the time. The program's contribution has to be measured at two levels, first, the learning opportunities offered to the teachers who participate, and second, the learning opportunities offered to the overall community of teachers in Europe. This multilayered toolset include the use of robots for automated invitations to groups closed for enrolment, and external communication managers for creating groups.
Identity is a contemporary buzzword in education, referencing the individual and the social, the personal and the political, self and other. Following Maggie MacLure, we can think of identity in terms of teachers ‘arguing for themselves’, or giving an account of themselves. Yet in the wake of poststructuralism's radical de-centering of the subject and its highlighting of a number of impediments to agency, we might well ask how teachers are to give an account of themselves? This paper offers reading of identity that recognizes its paradoxical aspects, yet also contains scope for ethical agency. The latter is explored via a ‘diagram’ that utilizes Foucault's four axes of ethics to elaborate a framework for thinking about teacher identity as ethical self-formation and for engaging in what I refer to here as ‘identity work’. This approach to thinking about teacher identity recognizes our discursive determination, yet also offers scope for recognizing and building ethical agency.
In this paper, we examine the meaning of conversing with pedagogical agents. Previous research has focused on examining cause and effect relationships, failing to take into account the meaning of the experiences individuals have when holding a dialogue with conversational agents for educational purposes. To understand these experiences, we have conducted a phenomenological examination of what it means to converse with a pedagogical agent. In phenomenological terms, findings suggest the experience is complex, engrossing, virtual yet real, human-like, and social. Implications for the future design, implementation, and research of conversational agents in educational and other settings are discussed.
Due to innovation and globalization in education, educators of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) are encouraged to use such instructional technologies as podcasting and blogging, but studies on integrating these technologies into assignments are rare. This project revealed how ESOL teacher candidates implement instructional technology skills to help English learners and the teacher candidates’ attitudes and processes toward implementing podcasting and blogging as a core assignment. Using qualitative research, five themes emerged: (a) ESOL teacher candidates’ attitudes and self-assessments, (b) their implementation of podcasting and blogging, (c) their challenges and rewards, (d) the impact on their professional development, and (e) their own impact on new generations of students, particularly English learners. This discussion highlights ESOL teacher candidates’ experiences while learning podcasting and blogging. ESOL teacher candidates, recognizing their future students as a new generation, are highly proactive learners and want very much to be competent and confident in their own teaching.
This paper uses a sociocultural theoretical lens, incorporating mediated agency [Wertsch et al. (1993). A sociocultural approach to agency. In A. Forman, N. Minick, & A. Stone (Eds.), Contexts for learning sociocultural dynamics in children's development (pp. 336–357). New York: Oxford University Press] to examine the dynamic interplay among teacher identity, agency, and context as these affect how secondary teachers report experiencing professional vulnerability, particularly in terms of their abilities to achieve their primary purposes in teaching students. Two mediational systems that shape teacher agency and their professional vulnerability are addressed. These are: (a) the early influences on teacher identity; and (b) the current reform context. Interview data revealed that the political and social context along with early teacher development shaped teachers’ sense of identity and sense of purpose as a teacher. Survey and interview data indicate that there was a disjuncture between teacher identity and expectations of the new reform mandates. Teacher agency was clearly constrained in the new reform context. Teachers struggled to remain openly vulnerable with their students, and to create trusting learning environments in what they described as a more managerial profession with increased accountability pressures. Directions for future research are also discussed.
Due to increasing demand for education and training in the information age, online learning and teaching is becoming a necessity in our future. However, lack of research goals to understand impact of online learning environments on students is a problem in research on online learning environments. We identified four main research goals to pursue in online learning environments based on their impact on learner achievement, engagement, and retention (opposite of attrition). Those goals are (a) enhancing learner engagement & collaboration, (b) promoting effective facilitation, (c) developing assessment techniques, and (d) designing faculty development programs. Current promising work in those areas is presented. Four methods that are common in the instructional technology literature are recommended to pursue those goals. Formative research and developmental research are relevant for all four. Although appropriate for any of the goals, experimental research is a better fit for goals b and c, and activity theory is useful for goals a and b.
Including abstract, graph, tabl., bibl. The Internet has had a transformative effect on many aspects of contemporary living. While there may be a tendency to overstate the impacts of this technology, workplaces and work practices in many societies have been greatly affected by almost instant access to massive amounts of information, delivered through broadening bandwidth. This paper embeds a discussion of professional development in this technological context, and comments on the emergence of a range of Internet-based tools designed to assist with the delivery of professional development programs for secondary teachers. We argue that the tools by themselves are not enough to guarantee effective professional development and that building 'communities of practice' will become significant in lifelong learning models. We discuss some work undertaken in a professional development project with secondary school teachers distributed at a distance from the host institution.
Situated within a pro-feminist perspective, this paper analyses the backlash against specific policies for girls in Australian schooling. It contextualizes this backlash by considering the effects of globalization, masculinity politics of various types and media representations of a 'gender war'. Feminist responses to this situation are also considered, as well as what 'success' in schooling is taken to mean. These responses to the current policy moment stretch from those who underplay to those who overplay the success of girls in schooling. The latter stance, however, differs substantially from that of recuperative masculinists in that this feminist response recognizes the career disadvantages and the burden of the double shift of paid and domestic work still experienced by many women. The paper then analyses two political interventions in the debate: a research report to the federal government and a House of Representatives' Inquiry into the Education of Boys. Finally, the paper suggests some possible ays ahead for new gender equity policies in education with specific reference to considerations of socialcl ass, difference and the achievement of a more gender equal society. These considerations are set against the current restructuring of educationalsystems, schools and policy approaches: the move from a policy active state to arguably a need for policy active schools working towards a re-articulated conception of gender equity.
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