The Reality of Virtual Reality

2013 ◽  
pp. 74-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Lybeck ◽  
Dana Bruhn ◽  
Solen Feyissa
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Teaching Activities ◽  
Online Teacher ◽  
One Year ◽  
Research Period

In order to improve teacher preparation courses offered online, a study of the use of Second Life virtual world for peer-teaching activities was conducted. The research period was over one year and the sampling group consisted of 25 Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) students. The methods practiced during the study follow the suggestions and implications given in previous research in hopes that an informed design would be the means to overcome the published limitations of Second Life. Despite this, the authors were not able to overcome previous difficulties, and did not find Second Life to be useful as a tool for classroom role-playing in online teacher-development courses. Virtual reality, however, has promise for facilitating teacher development; thus, further investigation is needed to find an appropriate virtual venue for this purpose.

The Reality of Virtual Reality

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Lybeck ◽  
Dana Bruhn ◽  
Solen Feyissa
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Teaching Activities ◽  
One Year ◽  
Research Period

In order to improve teacher preparation courses offered online, a study of the use of Second Life virtual world for peer-teaching activities was conducted. The research period was over one year and the sampling group consisted of 25 Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) students. The methods practiced during the study follow the suggestions and implications given in previous research in hopes that an informed design would be the means to overcome the published limitations of Second Life. Despite this, the authors were not able to overcome previous difficulties, and did not find Second Life to be useful as a tool for classroom role-playing in online teacher-development courses. Virtual reality, however, has promise for facilitating teacher development; thus, further investigation is needed to find an appropriate virtual venue for this purpose.

Exploring Second Life as a Venue for Peer-Teaching

2013 ◽  
pp. 318-342
Author(s):  
Karen Lybeck ◽  
Dana Bruhn ◽  
Solen Feyissa
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Peer Teaching ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Teaching Activities ◽  
Online Teacher

Online teacher preparation courses have become a popular way to offer professional development for both pre- and in-service teachers. This move has not only provided greater access to professional development, but it has also afforded learners with more non-formal learning experiences. Moving online, however, has largely replaced an important, traditionally non-formal component of the learning experience, namely peer-teaching, with more formal, less authentic student presentations. In order to explore a possible solution to this problem, 25 Teaching-English-as-a-Second-Language (TESL) students were trained to conduct peer-teaching activities in Second Life virtual world. The suggestions and implications given in previous Second Life research guided the implementation of these activities in the hopes that an informed design would overcome problems previously documented by other educational users of Second Life. Despite this, the authors were not able to overcome previous difficulties, and did not find Second Life to be useful as a tool for peer-teaching in online teacher-development courses. Virtual reality, however, has promise for facilitating teacher development; thus, further investigation is needed to find an appropriate virtual venue for this purpose.

The Extent of K-12 Online Teacher Development

2021 ◽  
pp. 924-944
Author(s):  
Jean S. Larson ◽  
Leanna Archambault
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Online Teachers ◽  
Online Teacher ◽  
Online Schools ◽  
K 12

This chapter, updated for the second edition of this volume, reviews the current research specific to the characteristics and preparation of those involved in K–12 online teaching. While few teacher education programs integrate any aspect of online teaching into their coursework or field experiences, existing programs are discussed. Limited, but notable progress is being made with respect to K–12 online teacher preparation. However, there continues to be gaps in the literature examining the extent to which teachers are being educated, trained, and otherwise prepared to function in online settings. Over the past decade, the need for teacher education programs and current K–12 online schools to work together to prepare teachers has become increasingly clear. Effective online teaching techniques must be defined, empirically proven, and then efficiently implemented by both future and current K–12 online teachers to ensure quality online educational experiences and outcomes for students.

The Extent of K-12 Online Teacher Development

2019 ◽  
pp. 57-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean S. Larson ◽  
Leanna Archambault
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Online Teachers ◽  
Online Teacher ◽  
Online Schools ◽  
K 12

This chapter, updated for the second edition of this volume, reviews the current research specific to the characteristics and preparation of those involved in K–12 online teaching. While few teacher education programs integrate any aspect of online teaching into their coursework or field experiences, existing programs are discussed. Limited, but notable progress is being made with respect to K–12 online teacher preparation. However, there continues to be gaps in the literature examining the extent to which teachers are being educated, trained, and otherwise prepared to function in online settings. Over the past decade, the need for teacher education programs and current K–12 online schools to work together to prepare teachers has become increasingly clear. Effective online teaching techniques must be defined, empirically proven, and then efficiently implemented by both future and current K–12 online teachers to ensure quality online educational experiences and outcomes for students.

Using Second Life® to Teach Collaboration Skills to Pre-Service and In-Service Special Educators

2013 ◽  
pp. 336-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa D. Hartley ◽  
Barbara L. Ludlow ◽  
Michael C. Duff
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
West Virginia University ◽  
Virtual Simulations

Second Life®, an online virtual world, is currently used at West Virginia University for simulation activities and role-playing exercises in teacher education programs in special education. The purpose of this chapter is to describe a design experiment in a pilot case study, explain the rationale for using virtual reality, describe how learning activities were developed, implemented, and evaluated, discuss plans for future research and practice, and offer suggestions for using virtual simulations in other teacher education programs.

Virtual World Classrooms

2014 ◽  
pp. 233-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Martin Meggs ◽  
Sharon Kibbe ◽  
Annette Greer
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Interior Design ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Outcome Evaluation ◽  
Educational Value ◽  
Traditional Course ◽  
Laboratory Component

This chapter provides a comprehensive case study to demonstrate the longitudinal development of online pedagogy for higher education through a lens of interior design. The chapter presents constructivist theory as a guiding pedagogical framework for the creation of learning environments within Second Life (SL) virtual reality. Details of the rigorous process of incorporation of SL, as an enhancement to a traditional course with a laboratory component, is presented to validate the integrity of the scholarship of teaching and learning undertaken in the exemplar case study. The concluding components of the chapter review the iterative process of course outcome evaluation compared to course and accreditation standards to further demonstrate the educational value of virtual reality as an environment for learning.

What’s In It for Me?

2013 ◽  
pp. 91-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Grassian ◽  
Rhonda Trueman
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Knowledge Innovation ◽  
3D Virtual World

Virtual worlds offer synchronous (simultaneous) real life participation through virtual reality, combining the two to provide convenient and low-cost options for librarians’ professional development. This chapter explores the use of virtual worlds for meetings, training, conferences, discussions, mentoring, networking, and peer-to-peer information sharing, with a focus on the 3D virtual world of Second Life. Definitions of “professional development” and “virtual worlds” precede discussion of the issues surrounding the use of this type of environment for a variety of training events and activities to support and encourage ongoing expansion of knowledge, innovation, and creativity among librarians. This chapter also includes information about planning and implementing professional development sessions in this arena, along with information on effective methods for publicizing these activities for parties interested in using virtual worlds for professional development. For those interested in attending professional development opportunities in virtual worlds, the chapter provides information on how to discover and choose useful activities and events in virtual worlds.

Interoperability, Learning Designs and Virtual Worlds

2010 ◽  
pp. 193-206
Author(s):  
Helen Farley
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
World Of Warcraft ◽  
Role Playing Games ◽  
Collaborative Activities

Given the relatively high costs associated with designing and implementing learning designs in virtual worlds, a strategy for the re-use of designs becomes imperative. IMS LD has emerged as the standard for the description and expression of learning designs. This chapter explores some of the issues associated with using the IMS LD specification for learning designs in virtual worlds such as Second Life and multi-player online role playing games such as World of Warcraft. The main issues relate to the inadequate description of collaborative activities and the inability to alter the design ‘on-the-fly’ in response to learner inputs. Some possible solutions to these problems are considered.

An Overview of Child Abuses in 3D Social Networks and Online Video Games

2012 ◽  
pp. 101-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Garcia-Ruiz ◽  
Miguel Vargas Martin ◽  
Patrik Olsson
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Child Abuse ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Child Pornography ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Ethical And Legal Issues ◽  
Network Approaches

It appears that child pornography distribution and child abuses on the Internet have permeated to massively multiplayer online role-playing video games (MMORPG) and 3D social networks, such as Second Life (SL), a compelling online virtual world where millions of users have registered. Although SL is intended for general entertainment in its adult (over 18) version, cases of simulated pedophilia have been reported inside SL’s virtual world, generated by some of its users, employing SL communication capabilities to trade and show child pornography images to exchange related text messages. This chapter provides a literature review on child pornography in MMORPGs and other 3D social networks including SL, as well as policy and network approaches for overcoming child abuse. A review on ethical and legal issues of dealing with child pornography and other types of child abuse in 3D social networks and MMORPGs is also addressed in this chapter.

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