No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
The use of Virtual Reality Classrooms for Micro-teaching practice: Pre- Service Science Teachers' Experiences
Abstract
This research reports on science pre-service teachers' (PSTs) perceptions and attitudes towards a virtual reality classroom, with the rationale being to elaborate on the pedagogical affordances of technology in the micro-teaching practices of PSTs. A purposeful sample of eighty-three pre-service science teachers from a major South African university participated in the research. Data were collected following an embedded mixed methods design, with the main data collected quantitively through questionnaires supported by informal classroom conversations after the VR classroom experience. To comprehend pre-service teachers' views on technology, the study combined the UTAUT and TAM models. Data were analysed using descriptive, comparative, correlational, and content analysis methods. Results indicate that the PSTs hold a positive perception towards the use of VR classrooms for their micro-teaching and in their future science teaching. The positive perceptions of PSTs towards the VR classroom were associated with its potential to enhance task efficiency, improve teaching productivity, belief in its utility for science teaching roles, facilitate the acquisition of pertinent knowledge and skills essential for science teaching, and to provide clear and understandable interactions within the classroom. The correlation analyses identified significant associations between pre-service teachers' perceptions and their attitudes regarding using VR classrooms for their micro-teaching practices. However, there was no significant difference in pre-service teachers' perceptions and attitudes towards the use of VR classrooms for micro-teaching practice with respect to gender. Notably, their attitudes were more closely associated with their perceived performance goals of using the VR classroom. Nevertheless, pre-service teachers raised concerns about the practical applicability of the VR classroom in teaching and teacher education programs, as well as issues related to accessibility and availability of the VR device and application for pre-service teachers when outside the university. Implications for teacher education and future research are discussed.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.
Virtual Reality (VR) is increasingly being viewed as one of the most effective and efficient instructional tools in educational settings. The successful implementation of this innovative instructional technology presupposes teachers’ acceptance and diffusion. And prospective teachers, as the teacher talent pool, their beliefs and acceptance of VR determine if and how they use it in the future classroom. However, little is known about their attitudes and adoptions. As such, the main goal of the present study is to investigate the behaviour and intentions of prospective teachers to use VR in class. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) was used as an evaluative framework for the study. A pre-post design was used to collect perspectives before and after using VR through questionnaires (N = 58) and semi-structured interviews (N = 44). The findings indicated that following intervention, preservice teachers’ behavioural intention, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, and price value were improved significantly; and that price value had a significant effect on behavioural intention. Meanwhile, barriers to implementing VR into future educational practises, such as the digital divide and culture reasons, were observed. Limitations and implications are also discussed.
The paper sought to find out whether gender influences the use of emerging technologies among higher education students at the University of Cape Coast. A data set of 357 respondents was used. It was found that more than half of the respondents were accustomed to the use of emerging technologies which translated in the improvement of their understanding of unclear concepts in their learning. However, the study showed no statistically significant difference in students’ academic performance and their use of emerging technologies. The respondents indicated that they learn best when emerging technologies are available during the learning period (p = 0.017). Further, there was improvement in performance when respondents use emerging technologies to enhance learning. This study concludes that one should be circumspect when using emerging technologies in learning as they can contribute positively and negatively depending on the nature of usage.
High-immersion virtual reality (VR) technology is often associated with gaming. Yet, it is increasingly popular in educational contexts due to its potential to engage and motivate learners. Prior to VR technology integration in the classroom, the acceptance or resistance toward VR needs to be explored. This paper reports the results obtained from a large-scale (N = 20,876) survey on teachers’ attitudes toward the use of VR for education. The survey explored the relationships between the teachers’ VR integration level and their instructional approaches, as well as the frequency of VR use. Furthermore, the survey yielded answers on the relationship between the availability of information technology (IT) personnel and the frequency of VR use. Overall, teachers had moderately positive perceptions of the use of VR in education. There was no strong correlation between instructional approaches and the level of VR integration, but lower levels of VR integration were associated with more traditional teaching approaches. The results revealed a positive correlation between the level of VR integration and the frequency of VR use. However, the VR frequency use had a weak correlation with the availability of IT personnel.
The aim of this paper is to promote a greater use of informal conversations in qualitative research. Although not a new innovation, we posit that they are a neglected innovation and a method that should become more widely employed. We argue that these conversations create a greater ease of communication and often produce more naturalistic data. While many researchers have written about the use of informal conversations in ethnography, as part of participant observation, we are advocating that these conversations have an application beyond ethnography and can be used in more general qualitative exploration that occurs in everyday settings where talking is involved. They can be used as the main method but also to complement and add to more formal types of data created through interview. Sometimes informal conversations are not only the best way, they are the only way to generate data. We use examples to show how we have used informal conversations in our research, which we interrogate and use to raise a number of, mainly ethical and methodological, issues. We discuss the main advantages and disadvantages of using this method, including the status and validity of data produced.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the landscape of higher education. As academic institutions across the world continue to deal with the global health crisis, there is a need to examine different instructional approaches including online, hybrid, and blended learning methods. This descriptive study provide an in-depth review of the history of blended learning, evolution of hybrid model of instruction, preparedness of faculty with minimal or no experience in online teaching, and lessons learned as faculty worked on navigating COVID-19 situation since early 2020. A fish-bone analysis, a visual and structured approach to identify possible causes of problem, has been used to present the problems faced by faculty during the pandemic. A detailed Strength–Weakness–Opportunities–Threat analysis of blended/hybrid learning has been presented. An evidence-based approach on how instructors can combine the best of both traditional and online instruction to offer engaging learning experiences for students has been described. This research provides valuable insights to faculty and administrators who are preparing to teach during a pandemic and making efforts to academically survive it.
The integration of immersive virtual reality (VR) in authentic science classrooms can result in a totally new learning experience for the students. However, the effect of such a learning experience on students’ conceptual learning gains and their perceptions of the experience, while considering students’ pre-existing science- and digital technologies-related attitudinal profiles, has not been explored to date. In this study, we have enacted a 90-min technology-enhanced inquiry-based intervention with high-school students (n = 107), on the topic of the Special Theory of Relativity in a Physics course, using a learning experience design, structured around an immersive VR simulation. Firstly, we aimed at examining students’ attitudinal profiles and, secondly, at exploring the potential differences of those profiles in relation to conceptual learning gains and perceptions of the learning experience. A clustering analysis has revealed two attitudinal profiles: the low-attitudes profile (n = 48) included students with low science- and digital technologies-related attitudes, and the opposite for the high-attitudes profile (n = 59). Results from a 2 × 2 RM ANOVA indicated a statistically significant interaction between conceptual learning gains and attitudinal profiles. In addition, a one-way MANOVA test showed statistically significant differences between the two profiles in relation to students’ perceptions of the learning experience, with the students of the high-attitude profile outperforming their counterparts. We discuss our findings, focusing on the implications of students’ individual differences in learning and attitudes linked to the integration of immersive VR in inquiry-based instruction.
There has been a surge in interest and implementation of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) based lessons in education and training recently, which has resulted in many studies on the topic. There are recent reviews which summarize this research, but little work has been done that synthesizes the existing findings into a theoretical framework. The Cognitive Affective Model of Immersive Learning (CAMIL) synthesizes existing immersive educational research to describe the process of learning in IVR. The general theoretical framework of the model suggests that instructional methods which are based on evidence from research with less immersive media generalize to learning in IVR. However, the CAMIL builds on evidence that media interacts with method. That is, certain methods which facilitate the affordances of IVR are specifically relevant in this medium. The CAMIL identifies presence and agency as the general psychological affordances of learning in IVR, and describes how immersion, control factors, and representational fidelity facilitate these affordances. The model describes six affective and cognitive factors that can lead to IVR based learning outcomes including interest, motivation, self-efficacy, embodiment, cognitive load, and self-regulation. The model also describes how these factors lead to factual, conceptual, and procedural knowledge acquisition and knowledge transfer. Implications for future research and instructional design are proposed.
Innovative instructional technologies, especially virtual reality devices, are becoming more prominent and feasible in science education. Concerning science laboratories, activities enriched with virtual reality technology have the potential to make unobservable phenomena accessible in any school. This virtual reality technology has the potential to lead in a new milestone in terms of acquisition of the science process skills, not only in secondary school students but also in the training of pre-service science teachers. This mixed-method study aimed to investigate the effect of virtual reality enriched laboratory activities’ effects on the science process skills of pre-service science teachers in Turkey. The pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental intervention was conducted with 54 3rd-grade pre-service science teachers enrolled in a state university in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. There were 24 participants in the experimental and 30 participants in the control group. The science process skills test was administered to both groups before and after the six-week-long intervention. Also, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants from the experimental group after the intervention process. Even though the groups did not differ at the end of the intervention, the increase of the scores in the experimental group was found to be statistically significant, concerning the overall test scores and the sub-dimension of Experimenting. Furthermore, qualitative findings signify a prominent emphasis on Observing. The potential causations and derived implications are discussed.
Technology in school settings has undergone a tremendous degree of evolution in recent decades. Educational technologies can be used for a wide range of applications. In school-based agricultural education (SBAE) settings, an assortment of educational technologies is often used to achieve instructional objectives. As a computer-based technology, virtual reality (VR) technology has been applied in educational contexts for years and is anticipated to grow in use and popularity. VR technology has received little attention in SBAE-focused research. Through the lens of an adapted version of Fishbein and Ajzen's (2010) reasoned action model, we sought to describe the opinions teachers have regarding VR technology in SBAE. Following Dillman, Smyth, and Christian's (2014) recommendations, we used an Internet-based questionnaire to collect data from 90 SBAE teachers in Iowa during the 2017-2018 academic year. Our results indicated the teachers generally held favorable opinions about VR technology intertwined with a considerable degree of uncertainty about the technology and its uses. To facilitate opportunities for VR technology-related professional development, we recommend agricultural teacher education faculty develop their own knowledge and skills related to VR technology applications.
Purpose
This paper provides an analysis and insight into undergraduate student views concerning the use of virtual reality technology towards whether it has the potential to support and provide novel pedagogical avenues towards teaching and learning in higher education. The purpose of this paper is to ascertain student views about the application of VR technology within their degree programmes from a pedagogical perspective in addition to identifying potential challenges to VR adoption.
Design/methodology/approach
The research design adopted a mixed methods approach through the use of a questionnaire that was disseminated to undergraduate students studying in the discipline area of the creative industries. Through a series of open and closed questions, student views on VR adoption in higher education were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The results were analysed statistically through a series of Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests. The qualitative statements were contextualised in the overall perspective of the research with the more relevant viewpoints identified to coincide with aspects of VR discovered in the literature.
Findings
The predominant findings of the research indicated that the majority of the students considered the use of VR to have useful pedagogical implications though not all findings were positive. The findings provided a sound overview of the benefits and potential drawbacks of VR use in general with a more specific focus in an educational context.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations of the research include the lack of overall generalisations that can be formed from the study due to the sample size and the fact that the results were based from one specific academic institution.
Practical implications
The findings of the research will provide educators with an insight into various perceptions of VR adoption within higher education. This will aid towards allowing them to reflect on whether VR is an appropriate tool to integrate within their curriculum and pedagogical approaches towards course delivery.
Originality/value
Though several studies have explored the use of VR in multiple contexts and subject areas, there still needs to be more research towards its potential drawbacks in a teaching and learning scenario and how to resolve these issues.
Virtual reality displays, such as head-mounted displays (HMD), afford us a superior spatial awareness by leveraging our vestibular and proprioceptive senses, as compared to traditional desktop displays. Since classical times, people have used memory palaces as a spatial mnemonic to help remember information by organizing it spatially and associating it with salient features in that environment. In this paper, we explore whether using virtual memory palaces in a head-mounted display with head-tracking (HMD condition) would allow a user to better recall information than when using a traditional desktop display with a mouse-based interaction (desktop condition). We found that virtual memory palaces in HMD condition provide a superior memory recall ability compared to the desktop condition. We believe this is a first step in using virtual environments for creating more memorable experiences that enhance productivity through better recall of large amounts of information organized using the idea of virtual memory palaces.
The more the students get experienced with technologies, the more the need for tertiary education systems to adopt innovative pedagogical strategies for accommodating different learning needs. Depending on students’ prior experience with computer-based tools, they may have different degrees of familiarity with new technologies. At University of Rwanda (UR), for example, the familiarity and experience with technology for incoming students is not clearly known. Universities need to understand this phenomenon for efficient education planning and management. Therefore, this study aims to understand the degree of familiarity with technology for first-year students at the University of Rwanda. Accessibility, ownership, usage and previous computer-based training are used in this study’ conceptual framework as factors that determine the degree of familiarity with technology. Firstly, results indicate that the majority of participants are not familiar with technology and never had any previous exposure to eLearning systems. Secondly, regarding the digital tools, while smartphones are the most accessed, owned and used tools by respondents, they rarely or never used them for learning activities. Thirdly, findings portrayed a heterogeneous technology experience with a substantial variation of access, use, ownership and previous training on new technologies among the sample. Strategies for improving experience and confidence with technology, for first-year students, are recommended for this institution. This will prepare new students for early technology uptake and readiness while empowering them to develop appropriate competencies and skills for the digital age. Further studies in the area of experience with technology are also proposed.
p class="3">Online learning is a means of reaching marginalised and disadvantaged students within South Africa. Nevertheless, these students encounter obstacles in online learning. This research investigates South African students’ opinions regarding online learning, culminating in a model of important connections (facets that connect students to their learning and the institution). Most participants had no prior experience with online learning. Their perceptions and barriers to learning may apply to other developing countries as well.
A cross-sequential research design was employed using a survey among 58 fourth-year students who were studying a traditional paper-based module via open distance learning. The findings indicated certain essential connections: first, a strong s ocial presence (through timely feedback, interaction with facilitators, peer-to-peer contact, discussion forums, and collaborative activities); second, technological aspects (technology access, online learning self-efficacy, and computer self-efficacy); and third, tools (web sites, video clips). The study revealed low levels of computer/internet access at home, which is of concern in an ODL milieu heading online. Institutions moving to online learning in developing countries should pay close attention to their students’ situations and perceptions, and develop a path that would accommodate both the disadvantaged and techno-savvy students without compromising quality of education and learning. The article culminates in practical recommendations that encompass the main findings to help guide institutions in developing countries as they move towards online teaching and learning.</p
This study addresses the question: Do the kinds and amounts of pre-service education and preparation that beginning teachers receive before they start teaching have any impact on whether they leave teaching? Authors Richard Ingersoll, Lisa Merrill, and Henry May examine a wide range of measures of teachers’ subject-matter education and pedagogical preparation. They compare different fields of teaching, with a particular focus on mathematics and science, using data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ nationally representative 2003-04 Schools and Staffing Survey and its supplement, the 2004-05 Teacher Follow-up Survey. The analyses show that beginning teachers widely varied in the pre-service education and preparation they received. In general, mathematics teachers and, especially, science teachers tended to have more subject-matter content education and more graduate-level education, and to have less pedagogical and methodological preparation than other teachers. The analyses also show that, after controlling for the background characteristics of teachers and their schools, some aspects of the education and preparation that beginning teachers received were significantly associated with their attrition, while others were not. Specifically, the type of college, degree, entry route or certificate mattered little. What did matter was the substance and content of new teachers’ pedagogical preparation. Those with more training in teaching methods and pedagogy—especially practice teaching, observation of other classroom teaching and feedback on their own teaching—were far less likely to leave teaching after their first year on the job.
Past studies have found male students to have more confidence in using technology for learning than do female students. Males tend to have more positive attitudes about the use of technology for learning than do females. According to the Women’s Foundation (2006), few studies examined gender relevant research in Hong Kong. It also appears that no studies have examined these gender differences in the perception of confidence in using technology for learning specifically in Hong Kong. The aim of this study was to examine gender difference regarding confidence toward using technology (e.g., AutoCAD, SPSS, Compiere, Arena, and programming language, such as C, Java, Visual Basic, etc.) for learning in higher educational institutions in Hong Kong. The study employed a survey methodology collecting 211 questionnaires from one specific university in Hong Kong. The findings confirmed that male students have more confidence in using technology for learning than do female students because gender imbalances in computing are socially constructed and not related to a learner’s innate ability. It is recommended that the universities should set up training courses for female students so these students can build confidence in using technology for learning.
This article investigates the gender aspects of technology use in the innovation system. The generic question is: to what extent is it necessary to distinguish between women and men in the use of technology? A second question is: if gender-specific differences do exist, to what extent is the innovation system capable of utilizing experiences from women as well? The article examines two sets of technologies—agricultural equipment for rural application and teleservices—in two transition economies, Poland and China, with Sweden as a point of reference. The empirical data presented here on women as innovators and users of technology indicate that, indeed, there exist differences in preferences between genders, and that the innovation systems have been slow or incapable of exploiting these differences with a consequent welfare loss to society. The underperformance of the innovation system could provide firms with a competitive advantage if they are willing to tap into its potential.
Bystanders in a real world's social setting have the ability to influence people’s beliefs and behavior. This study examines whether this effect can be recreated in a virtual environment, by exposing people to virtual bystanders in a classroom setting. Participants (n = 26) first witnessed virtual students answering questions from an English teacher, after which they were also asked to answer questions from the teacher as part of a simulated training for spoken English. During the experiment the attitudes of the other virtual students in the classroom was manipulated; they could whisper either positive or negative remarks to each other when a virtual student was talking or when a participant was talking. The results show that the expressed attitude of virtual bystanders towards the participants affected their self-efficacy, and their avoidance behavior. Furthermore, the experience of witnessing bystanders commenting negatively on the performance of other students raised the participants’ heart rate when it was their turn to speak. Two-way interaction effects were also found on self-reported anxiety and self-efficacy. After witnessing bystanders’ positive attitude towards peer students, participants’ self-efficacy when answering questions received a boost when bystanders were also positive towards them, and a blow when bystanders reversed their attitude by being negative towards them. Still, inconsistency, instead of consistency, between the bystanders’ attitudes towards virtual peers and the participants was not found to result in a larger change in the participants’ beliefs. Finally the results also reveal that virtual flattering or destructive criticizing affected the participants’ beliefs not only about the virtual bystanders, but also about the neutral teacher. Together these findings show that virtual bystanders in a classroom can affect people’s beliefs, anxiety and behavior.
Microteaching is a didactic tool of recent application to undergraduate and postgraduate students as a way to promote self-learning. In this work we compared the perceptions of the students who provide instruction in tissue engineering using microteaching and the perceptions of the same students when they receive such instructions. Two similar questionnaires with items related to the preparation and exposition of a microlesson were used to investigate the perception of 56 students before and after the microteaching session. In our results, students significantly prefer to use specific objectives, textbooks and Internet information when they are preparing a microlesson as compared to the situation when they receive it. On the other hand, the use of a pre-programmed index during the exposition and the reduction of the use of PowerPoint software are significantly more preferred by the students after receiving the microlesson. No statistical differences were found for the rest of the options analyzed. These results show that the self-assessment generated in the microteaching session, which is linked to the feedback related to the self-learning process, makes microteaching a technique not only useful for self-learning but also an important tool to promote self-regulation across the curriculum.
Given the prevalence of technology in the workplace, an understanding of employees' attitudes towards technology is essential. Such attitudes have been linked to such important issues as the successful implementation of new technologies in the workplace, employee intent to use technology, and the actual usage of technology by employees. As a result of the rapidly aging workforce, and because age has been linked to computer use and comfort, it is important to examine the relationship that may exist between age and attitudes towards technology. This study examines age as a moderator of 612 employees' attitudes towards technology in relation to work motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) and overall job satisfaction. Further, given the technological socialisation of the Generation X (Gen X) versus the Baby Boomers, our sample comprised these two demographics. Hierarchical moderated multiple regression indicates age moderates the relationship between attitude towards technology and intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and to a lesser extent, overall job satisfaction. In each instance, older employees exhibit the strongest relationships with the outcome variables when possessing a high attitude towards technology. In contrast, older employees exhibit the weakest relationships when possessing a low attitude towards technology. These results are supportive of the moderating effect of age on attitude towards technology. Lastly, implications and directions for future research are discussed.
The present research develops and tests a theoretical extension of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) that explains perceived usefulness and usage intentions in terms of social influence and cognitive instrumental processes. The extended model, referred to as TAM2, was tested using longitudinal data collected regarding four different systems at four organizations (N = 156), two involving voluntary usage and two involving mandatory usage. Model constructs were measured at three points in time at each organization: preimplementation, one month postimplementation, and three months postimplementation. The extended model was strongly supported for all four organizations at all three points of measurement, accounting for 40%--60% of the variance in usefulness perceptions and 34%--52% of the variance in usage intentions. Both social influence processes (subjective norm, voluntariness, and image) and cognitive instrumental processes (job relevance, output quality, result demonstrability, and perceived ease of use) significantly influenced user acceptance. These findings advance theory and contribute to the foundation for future research aimed at improving our understanding of user adoption behavior.
Assembly planning and evaluation is an important component of the product design process in which details about how parts of a new product will be put together are formalized. A well designed assembly process should take into account various factors such as optimum assembly time and sequence, tooling and fixture requirements, ergonomics, operator safety, and accessibility, among others. Existing computer-based tools to support virtual assembly either concentrate solely on representation of the geometry of parts and fixtures and evaluation of clearances and tolerances or use simulated human mannequins to approximate human interaction in the assembly process. Virtual reality technology has the potential to support integration of natural human motions into the computer aided assembly planning environment (Ritchie et al. in Proc I MECH E Part B J Eng 213(5):461–474, 1999). This would allow evaluations of an assembler’s ability to manipulate and assemble parts and result in reduced time and cost for product design. This paper provides a review of the research in virtual assembly and categorizes the different approaches. Finally, critical requirements and directions for future research are presented.
Information technology (IT) acceptance research has yielded many competing models, each with different sets of acceptance determinants. In this paper, we (1) review user acceptance literature and discuss eight prominent models, (2) empiri- cally compare the eight models and their exten- sions, (3) formulate a unified model that integrates elements across the eight models, and (4) empiri- cally validate the unified model. The eight models reviewed are the theory of reasoned action, the technology acceptance model, the motivational model, the theory of planned behavior, a model combining the technology acceptance model and the theory of planned behavior, the model of PC utilization, the innovation diffusion theory, and the social cognitive theory. Using data from four organizations over a six-month period with three points of measurement, the eight models ex- plained between 17 percent and 53 percent of the variance in user intentions to use information technology. Next, a unified model, called the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Tech- nology (UTAUT), was formulated, with four core determinants of intention and usage, and up to four moderators of key relationships. UTAUT was then tested using the original data and found to outperform the eight individual models (adjusted
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1986. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 233-250). Photocopy.
The chapter begins with an introduction to meaningful immersive learning. In the discussion, we examine what it is and how it is taken up pedagogically in K–12 and higher education. We argue there is a spectrum for immersion. Educators and designers may engage in designing across the spectrum to integrate immersive experiences to blend physical and digital realities for meaningful learning. The chapter concludes by introducing the book’s four sections: (1) Designing Immersive Learning in K–12 Education, (2) Designing Immersive Learning in Higher Education, (3) Teachers and Students as Designers of Immersive Learning, and (4) The Future of Immersive Learning: Designing for Possibilities.KeywordsImmersive educationImmersive learningImmersive pedagogyLearningSpectrum of immersionTechnology-enabled learning environments
Recent studies have shown immersive technology has a positive impact on learning. However, implementation and oversight remain major obstacles for school districts. This chapter explores a practical model for implementing virtual reality technology in a high school setting and shows how student contribution promotes a positive learning environment.KeywordsCollaborationFacilitatorNear-peer classroomPeer assisted learningStudent-ledStudent ownershipVirtual reality implementation
With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, even greater efforts are needed to address students’ academic and social emotional needs, all the while making up for learning loss and preparing for the unpredictable combinations of distance learning, blended learning, and in-classroom learning. These expectations, along with the need for greater emphasis on equity-focused teaching and learning have raised the bar for educators and for educator preparation. This paper explores what policymakers and educators can do to support educators in meeting the social emotional and academic needs of students. These strategies include investing in high-quality educator preparation, transforming educator professional learning opportunities to match current needs, supporting mentoring and the development of new teacher roles, and creating time for educators to collaborate with each other and key partners. These actions are vital for navigating teaching and learning during the pandemic and beyond.
Virtual reality (VR) platforms act as a potentially transformative tool in learning and teaching. The aim of this study was to examine pre-service teachers’ (PST) perceptions about VR, inclusive of their beliefs about its capacity to be used as a teaching and learning tool. A case-study, conducted at an urban university in Australia involved a sample of n = 41. Participants’ positive perceptions of VR in their teaching relate to its potential to engage learners, the immersive potential of the platform and the scope of VR to offer students experiences they might otherwise not have with other learning tools. Concerns expressed by PSTs include their relatively low self-efficacy to use VR in their teaching, monitoring-related matters, financial cost and implementing the technology in a safe and supportive way. There was a significant difference in PSTs’ amount of self-efficacy to teach using VR when compared to their overall confidence to use digital technologies. PSTs typically had greater awareness of the immersive and engagement potential of VR and less awareness about its potential to foster and promote collaborative learning. This paper contributes to an emerging discourse regarding the possible applications of VR in educational environments and particularly in relation teacher-educator contexts.
Gender difference in the attitude toward technology use has long been a concern in education. The last meta-analysis on this issue covered the empirical studies up to about 20 years ago. Since then, technology use has increased exponentially, and many more empirical studies have examined this issue, but showed inconsistent findings. As a result, there is a lack of clear understanding about if such gender difference still persists. The purpose of this research is to re-examine this issue by meta-analyzing the empirical research studies on this issue in the last two decades, and to examine the potential moderators that may have contributed to the heterogeneity of the research findings. A total of 50 articles from 1997 to 2014 were identified and used in this meta-analysis. The findings indicated that males still hold more favorable attitudes toward technology use than females, but such different would be characterized as small effect sizes. The comparison between this study and the last meta-analysis of about two decades ago suggested that there was only minimal reduction in the gender attitudinal gap in general. But when the general attitude was broken down to different dimensions of attitude, the present study showed a reduction of gender difference in the dimension of Affect and Self-efficacy, but not in the dimension of Belief. The limitations of the study were noted, and the implications and future research directions were discussed.
This chapter critically examines the idea that young people have undergone a change in which exposure to digital and networked technologies has caused a step change in the character of a whole generation. The empirical and theoretical basis for this argument is reviewed and critical theoretical perspectives are assessed. Evidence from earlier research is compared and contrasted with evidence gathered from students who are said to be part of the new generation. The chapter explores the consequences of these ideas from the standpoint of networked learning. One aim of the chapter is to suggest ways in which the changes that have taken can be more adequately theorized in relation to the idea of networked learning. Arguments used to support generational change rely on a technological determinism and alternative accounts understand young people as active agents. I suggest expanding the notion of the agent to include persons enacting roles in collective organizations. Overall, the importance of the debate is that determinist arguments can close down debate and networked learning would be impoverished if this occurs.
Induction support programs for beginning teachers is an education reform whose time has come. The national data indicate that over the past couple of decades the number of beginning teachers has ballooned in the U.S. Simultaneously, there has been a large increase in the number of states, districts, and schools offering induction programs. Importantly, the data also indicate that induction can help retain teachers, improve their instruction and their students' achievement. However, the data also tell us that the kinds and amounts of support greatly vary, and research suggests the effects depend on how much induction one gets and for how long.
Analyzing Preservice Teachers Attitudes towards Technology
- A O Akturk
- K Izci
- G Caliskan
- I Sahin
Akturk, A. O., Izci, K., Caliskan, G., & Sahin, I. (2015). "Analyzing Preservice Teachers
Attitudes towards Technology". Online Submission, vol. 9, no. 12, pp. 3960-3966.
Learning to Teach: Practice-Based Preparation in Teacher Education
- A Benedict
- L Holdheide
- M Brownell
- A M Foley
Benedict, A., Holdheide, L., Brownell, M., & Foley, A. M. (2016). "Learning to Teach:
Practice-Based Preparation in Teacher Education". Special Issues Brief. Center on Great
Teachers and Leaders.
Metaverse and Immersive Technologies: An Introduction to Industrial
- A Chandrashekhar
- S H Saheb
- S K Panda
- S Balamurugan
- Peng
Chandrashekhar, A., Saheb, S. H., Panda, S. K., Balamurugan, S., & Peng, S. L. (Eds.). (2023).
"Metaverse and Immersive Technologies: An Introduction to Industrial, Business and
Social Applications". John Wiley & Sons.
- P R Hinton
- I Mcmurray
- C Brownlow
Hinton, P.R., McMurray, I. & Brownlow, C. (2014). "SPSS Explained" (2 nd Eds.).
Routledge. New York.
Mixed methods research for nursing and the health sciences
- T Kroll
- M Neri
Kroll, T., & Neri, M. (2009). "Designs for mixed methods research". Mixed methods
research for nursing and the health sciences, pp. 31-49.
- M Yilmaz
- M C Simsek
Yilmaz, M., & Simsek, M. C. (2023). "The Use of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and
the Metaverse in Education: The Views of Preservice Biology and Mathematics Teachers".
MIER Journal of Educational Studies Trends and Practices, pp. 64-80.