Teacher Perceptions of the Practicality and Effectiveness of Immersive Ecological Simulations as Classroom Curricula

Recent research with Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) in education has shown that these platforms can be effective and engaging for students; however, educators and administrators have practical concerns about the adoption of MUVE-based curricula. This study looks at implementations of EcoMUVE, a MUVE-based curriculum designed to support middle school learning of ecosystem concepts and processes. Research questions looked at teacher perceptions of the curriculum’s implementation feasibility, alignment with curricular objectives and standards, and perceived value. Results showed that EcoMUVE was very well-received, and technical issues were manageable. Teachers felt the curriculum was effective, aligned well with standards, and compared favorably with a non-MUVE alternative. Particular technological and curriculum features that contributed to EcoMUVE’s perceived value included student-directed learning, an inquiry, role-based pedagogy, immersion in the virtual environment, and the ease of collecting and comparing data with graphs

Sharing the stories of near novices to impact mainstream change

This case study research is designed to examine the ways in which teachers are bringing gameful practices into their classrooms as part of a STEM learning agenda. It is hypothesised that one of the best persons to inform or improve the practice of novices is a near novice; someone who was most recently themselves a novice. In many case study programs, we hold up exemplary practitioners as models, but these experts may be too far removed in their levels of expertise to impact the practice of true novices. Experts and evangelists might be useful in creating vision for change, but the actual steps toward change in practice might lie with educators ‘more like ourselves’. This research sets out to examine the work of educators starting out in various forms of gameful practices in teaching and learning. Telling the stories of these near novices has the potential to support, influence and impact the next wave of innovators, those beyond the early adopters. This is a work in progress and will report on the case studies collected and nascent feedback on their impact early in 2017

Motivation and Beliefs about the Nature of Scientific Knowledge Within an Immersive Virtual Ecosystems Environment

We explored Grade 6 students‘ (n = 202) self-efficacy, epistemic beliefs, and science interest over a 10-day virtual ecology curriculum. Pre- and post-surveys were administered, and analyses revealed that (1) students became more self-efficacious about inquiring scientifically after participating in the activity; (2) students on average evinced a shift toward more constructivist views about the role of authority in justifying scientific claims; (3) students who identified more strongly with being a science person evinced greater gains in self efficacy, developed a less constructivist view about the role of authority in justifying claims, and became more interested in science overall; and (4) students who held an incremental theory of ability evinced greater gains in self-efficacy. We discuss the implications of these findings for science educators and instructional designers in the design and use of immersive virtual worlds for middle school science students

ACER Research Conference Proceedings (2016)

The focus of ACER’s Research Conference 2016 will be on what we are learning from research about ways of improving levels of STEM learning. Australia faces significant challenges in promoting improved science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning in our schools. Research Conference 2016 will showcase research into what it will take to address these challenges, which include: the decline in Australian students’ mathematical and scientific ‘literacy’; the decline in STEM study in senior school; a shortage of highly qualified STEM subject teachers, and curriculum challenges. You will hear from researchers who work with teachers to engage students in studying STEM-related subjects, such as engineering in primary school, and science and maths at all levels. You will learn how to engage both girls and boys in STEM learning, through targeted teaching, activities like gaming, and applying learning from neuroscience

Teachers Support for English Language Learners to Build Inquiry Skills in Online Biology Simulations

The population of English language learners (ELLs) is on the rise in the United States, but they are lagging behind English speaking students in several subject areas--including biology. Scholarly literature lacks information on how biology teachers use scaffolding strategies to support ELL students with inquiry skills during online simulations. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore how biology teachers support ELLs in learning biology, using biology simulations to promote inquiry learning. The conceptual framework for this study included the constructivist perspective regarding the zone of proximal development, Electronic Quality of Inquiry Protocol, and technology use in science instruction. The purposive sample for this study was 4 biology teachers from 2 high schools in large school districts in the southeastern region of the United States who taught ELL students using inquiry-based online simulations. The data sources were face to face interviews with teachers, scaffolding documents, and lesson plans. Data were coded and analyzed for common themes across within and across cases. Results indicated that although biology teachers believed that ELL students benefited from inquiry simulations because of the already incorporated visuals and their ability to interact and manipulate the program, they sometimes lacked technology experiences and struggled with English and literacy that may reduce the benefits of the simulation experiences. The results of this study have the potential to contribute to social change by providing insights that may increase the understanding of how biology teachers can support ELL students when using technology in the form of simulations to promote inquiry learning

Diffusion of Virtual and Augmented Reality in Pre-K to 12 Education: Experiences and Perceptions of Pioneer Teachers

The diffusion of the virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technological ecosystem into education is nascent. Research on VR/AR in Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 (PK-12) education has been focused on the technologies\u27 effect on learning in various use cases. This study, grounded in Diffusion of Innovations theory (Rogers, 2003), uses a phenomenological qualitative research approach through interviews to understand the lived experiences and perceptions of pioneer teachers who have used VR/AR with PK-12 students. Critical trends and emergent themes within this study regarding pioneer teacher experiences of VR/AR adoption and integration surfaced through an inductive data analysis process. The introductory experiences of VR/AR impact teachers\u27 perception of the ecosystems\u27 benefits for teaching, launching their quest for information to narrow the knowledge gap that arises when adopting innovation. Pioneer teachers in this study use VR/AR in primarily two ways, for (i) The Exalted Journey (i.e., field trips to internal human spaces) and (ii) The Expression (i.e., student storytelling). Support from and access to funding provided by district/school leaders are critical for VR/AR adoption. Access to relevant content and VR/AR creation tools, bolstered by district-to-classroom level policies and protocols, proves essential for VR/AR integration in the classroom. Effective VR/AR classroom integration also depends on device availability, human resources, classroom structures, and classroom management. Teacher self-perception and educational context and philosophy affect teachers\u27 propensity to embrace VR/AR for teaching and learning. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of parts of this ecosystem was halted, particularly immersive VR through a head-mounted display; the pandemic\u27s long-term impact on VR/AR diffusion in PK-12 education remains uncertain. Access to VR/AR technology, inclusive of content and experience creation tools, classroom structures, resources, policies and protocols, teacher characteristics, and leadership support are crucial elements for districts/schools to consider when adopting and integrating this ecosystem into PK-12 classrooms