Branching Out through VirtualPREX: Enhancing Teaching in Second Life

Title
Branching Out through VirtualPREX: Enhancing Teaching in Second Life
Publication Date
2012
Author(s)
Masters, Yvonne
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1120-7950
Email: ymasters@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:ymasters
Gregory, Sue
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0417-8266
Email: sgregor4@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:sgregor4
Dalgarno, Barney
Reiners, Torsten
Knox, Vicki
Editor
Editor(s): Paul Jerry, Yvonne Masters and Nancy Tavares-Jones
Type of document
Book Chapter
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Inter-Disciplinary Press
Place of publication
Oxford, United Kingdom
Edition
1
Series
At the Interface
UNE publication id
une:11877
Abstract
Virtual worlds have been incorporated into the repertoire of higher education teaching and learning for over a decade with numerous reports on the efficacy of this form of learning for both student engagement and enhanced student outcomes. The affordances of these worlds are being used to enhance another aspect of many higher education courses; work integrated learning. In teacher education courses, practice teaching is a core component. However, research has highlighted quality preparation for practice teaching as problematic. This is a particular challenge for distance education students necessitating new approaches to teacher preparation. Virtual world technologies have provided the authors with a capacity to develop 3D virtual classroom and playground environments. These are currently being tested as effective spaces for developing a range of critical teaching skills prior to pre-service teachers entering a physical classroom. These students have opportunities, through interaction in and with the virtual environment, to practise skills and apply concepts in a risk-free realistic setting. In this chapter, the authors discuss the problems of preparation for practice teaching and the ways in which the virtual world of Second Life is currently being tested as a site for enhanced teacher preparation. The results of the first trials are described and the future of the project explored.
Link
Citation
Utopia and a Garden Party, p. 57-69
ISBN
9781848881402
Start page
57
End page
69

Files:

NameSizeformatDescriptionLink