Resistance to Advocacy: Pre-service teachers recognising the potential of curriculum-based virtual worlds for TPACK-framed science teaching

Title
Resistance to Advocacy: Pre-service teachers recognising the potential of curriculum-based virtual worlds for TPACK-framed science teaching
Publication Date
2013
Author(s)
Doyle, Helen
Reading, Christine E
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6906-7965
Email: creading@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:creading
Editor
Editor(s): Paul Newhouse and Jeremy Pagram
Type of document
Conference Publication
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Australian Council for Computers in Education (ECCA)
Place of publication
Perth, Australia
UNE publication id
une:11996
Abstract
It's time to prepare teachers to take the plunge to teach in virtual worlds. Students are already there and their teachers need to follow. Unfortunately, teachers are often resistant to change their teaching practice, especially regarding the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) such as virtual worlds. The authors report on the experience of a cohort of pre-service teachers who transitioned from resistance to advocacy as a consequence of immersion in a curriculum-based virtual world. Curriculum-based interactive multi-user virtual worlds contribute to learning through transformational play combining learning, playing and helping. Learners make informed decisions whilst immersed in play. A recommended virtual world is Quest Atlantis; research-based and designed for learners aged nine to sixteen. Importantly, teachers need to be convinced that teaching objectives can be met in virtual worlds. Use of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge's (TPACK) framework can provide such evidence. Most Significant Change Stories gathered from pre-service teachers show the pre-service teachers transforming from resistance to advocacy. Findings indicated that once the pre-service teachers experienced transformational play they realised the value of the use of virtual worlds in teaching and that play can support learning and meet teaching objectives.
Link
Citation
Australian Educational Computing, 27(3), p. 1-8
ISSN
1443-833X
0816-9020
ISBN
9780646586540
Start page
1
End page
8

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