Virtual classroom simulation: design and trial in a preservice teacher education program.

Abstract

“The Virtual Classroom Simulation, Design and Trial in a Preservice Teacher Education Program” (VCS), is trans-disciplinary research study that aimed to design, embed, trial and evaluate a simulation system and its learning outcomes. This document encapsulates the motivation, conceptualisation, theory, development, trials and evaluation behind the study. Expert technology transfer, particularly from areas in education, psychology, social sciences, conceptual modelling, computer science and underlying mixed methods research design, has been instrumental in underpinning the research and development of the VCS. Prospective education students have preconceived ideas, or mental models, about teaching and learning that are often based on their own experiences as students. The School of Education at the University of Adelaide offers a number of courses that provide insights into both the theory and practice of education. The practicum component provides a valuable, real-life, experience that may improve education students’ understanding about teaching, learning and classroom interactions. It may also enable them to better understand and apply effective teaching strategies to enhance student learning outcome. Some research studies, however, suggest that providers of teacher education do not sufficiently stimulate education students to challenge their own preconceptions about teaching and learning. This study aimed to identify and deconstruct essential attributes of a specific teaching-learning context and reconstruct these in a virtual environment. It involved the development of an interactive computer simulation training tool to be trialled in a population of education students. The simulation was projected to be an important enabler of praxis (the nexus between theory, reflection and practice), thus useful in challenging and adjusting education students’ mental models about student-teacher interaction. The VCS and related materials (lecture, trial, surveys and assignment) were integrated in the first-semester course “Student-Teacher Interaction in the Classroom 1”, a compulsory course for students enrolled in the degrees of Bachelor of Teaching (4th year) and Graduate Diploma in Education. Prior to the delivery of an introductory lecture and administration of VCS user trials, student perceptions and views about the teacher, students, task and learning environment were elicited. The VCS and associated activities provided a gauge to understand changes to education students’ mental models. To determine and evaluate the effectiveness of the VCS and related learning, a number of objective measurement techniques and methods were used. In order to complement the quantitative methods utilised, qualitative research methods were used to examine the rich data source obtained through open-ended questions posed to the students. Many research studies have positioned the value of mixed-methods. This study highlights the value of triangulation and the use of exploratory, explanatory and confirmatory models in understanding the interactions between the variables under study. The research adapted carefully chosen instruments utilised in international studies, and these were re-validated through well established techniques such as confirmatory factory analysis and the Rasch Model. A substantial amount of qualitative data was quantified to add more detail in the structural equation model. Path analysis of quantitative data suggests that the overall reactions to the VCS system were influenced by participants’ comfort with computers. The educational value of the simulation, as perceived by the population, was strongly linked to the overall reaction to the VCS. More than 80% of the population viewed the educational value of the VCS as either high (~62%) or moderate (19%). A further ~70% thought that the VCS delivered an effective means of training. A majority of the participants (~75%) also believed that the VCS generated a valuable learning experience. The findings are supported and enriched by the analysis of qualitative data, which shows that participants demonstrated a noticeable advancement in their level of thinking and understanding of educational theories induced through VCS interaction. Results from a VCS-related assignment, which made part of the education students’ formal assessment in the course, validate these findings. One cycle of VCS development, course integration, and user trials was implemented in this study. The final outcomes suggest that the VCS added value to a population in teacher education. Experiences and feedback from the population also introduced a number of areas to consider for future research and development. The study concludes that more research and development be put into the VCS with the aim of making the system available to all providers of teacher education in Australia. It further highlights the need for quality assurance for any simulation (or objects) developed for learning. The triangulation of research methods highlights the contribution of mixed methods to this pertinent study.