ERIC Number: EJ1043765
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-May
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1784
EISSN: N/A
Learning from Virtual Students
Dieker, Lisa A.; Straub, Carrie L.; Hughes, Charles E.; Hynes, Michael C.; Hardin, Stacey
Educational Leadership, v71 n8 p54-58 May 2014
Everything's going wrong in the classroom; the teacher's frustration level is so high that she's ready to walk out and try her hand at any other profession besides teaching. Just as things reach a peak, in steps the coach, who says, "Pause classroom!" To the teacher experiencing this scenario, it certainly seemed real. The classroom is, however, a computer-simulated one called TLE TeachLivE, and it's the product of research conducted at the University of Central Florida. Teachers walk into a room that looks just like a middle school classroom, including props, whiteboards, and students. However, the lab is a virtual setting--the classroom is projected on a screen--and the students are avatars, with personalities similar to their real-life student counterparts. The researchers found that four 10-minute simulator sessions on a specific teaching practice can change at least one crucial teaching behavior. Note the authors, "We believe this virtual learning environment is a disruptive technology for professional development."
Descriptors: Virtual Classrooms, Computer Simulation, Universities, Faculty Development, Simulated Environment
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Florida
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A