Changing directions through VirtualPREX: engaging pre-service teachers in virtual professional experience

Sue Gregory; Barney Dalgarno; Mathew Campbell; Torsten Reiners; Vicki Knox; Yvonne Masters

Changing directions through VirtualPREX: engaging pre-service teachers in virtual professional experience

Sue Gregory, Barney Dalgarno, Mathew Campbell, Torsten Reiners, Vicki Knox, Yvonne Masters

Research output: Book chapter/Published conference paper › Conference paper › peer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

19 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Many pre-service teachers currently undertake their professional experience with insufficient knowledge and confidence to handle unexpected teaching situations. VirtualPREX explores the experiences of 72 pre-service teachers who undertook a teaching role-play in a virtual world. The researchers discuss this opportunity for pre-service teachers to utilise new methods and avenues in a virtual world to both supplement their learning and undertake preparation for practical experience. Participation by pre-service teachers in role-play enables them to test and develop a better range of professional skills and acquire confidence in, and more realistic awareness of, their skills before being placed in real-life classrooms. Presented in this paper are the findings from a pilot of this study and pre-service teacher reactions to the role-play activity including whether they felt that it was helpful in preparing them for their upcoming professional experience placement.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE 2011)
Editors	B Cleland
Place of Publication	Tasmania
Publisher	University of Tasmania
Pages	491-501
Number of pages	11
ISBN (Electronic)	9781862956445
Publication status	Published - 2011
Event	ASCILITE 2011: 28th International Conference on Innovation, Practice and Research in the Use of Educational Technologies in Tertiary Education - Wrest Point, Hobart, Australia Duration: 04 Dec 2011 → 07 Dec 2011 http://ascilite.org/conferences/hobart11/

Conference

Conference	ASCILITE 2011
Abbreviated title	Changing demands, changing directions
Country/Territory	Australia
City	Hobart
Period	04/12/11 → 07/12/11
Internet address	http://ascilite.org/conferences/hobart11/

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Gregory, S., Dalgarno, B., Campbell, M., Reiners, T., Knox, V., & Masters, Y. (2011). Changing directions through VirtualPREX: engaging pre-service teachers in virtual professional experience. In B. Cleland (Ed.), Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE 2011) (pp. 491-501). University of Tasmania.

Gregory, Sue ; Dalgarno, Barney ; Campbell, Mathew ; Reiners, Torsten ; Knox, Vicki ; Masters, Yvonne. / Changing directions through VirtualPREX : engaging pre-service teachers in virtual professional experience. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE 2011). editor / B Cleland. Tasmania : University of Tasmania, 2011. pp. 491-501

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Gregory, S, Dalgarno, B, Campbell, M, Reiners, T, Knox, V & Masters, Y 2011, Changing directions through VirtualPREX: engaging pre-service teachers in virtual professional experience. in B Cleland (ed.), Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE 2011). University of Tasmania, Tasmania, pp. 491-501, ASCILITE 2011, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 04/12/11.

Changing directions through VirtualPREX : engaging pre-service teachers in virtual professional experience. / Gregory, Sue; Dalgarno, Barney; Campbell, Mathew; Reiners, Torsten; Knox, Vicki; Masters, Yvonne.

Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE 2011). ed. / B Cleland. Tasmania : University of Tasmania, 2011. p. 491-501.

Research output: Book chapter/Published conference paper › Conference paper › peer-review

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N1 - Imported on 03 May 2017 - DigiTool details were: publisher = Tasmania: University of Tasmania, 2011. editor/s (773b) = G Williams, N Brown, M Pittard, & B Cleland; Event dates (773o) = 4-7 December, 2011; Parent title (773t) = Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE) Annual Conference.

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AB - Many pre-service teachers currently undertake their professional experience with insufficient knowledge and confidence to handle unexpected teaching situations. VirtualPREX explores the experiences of 72 pre-service teachers who undertook a teaching role-play in a virtual world. The researchers discuss this opportunity for pre-service teachers to utilise new methods and avenues in a virtual world to both supplement their learning and undertake preparation for practical experience. Participation by pre-service teachers in role-play enables them to test and develop a better range of professional skills and acquire confidence in, and more realistic awareness of, their skills before being placed in real-life classrooms. Presented in this paper are the findings from a pilot of this study and pre-service teacher reactions to the role-play activity including whether they felt that it was helpful in preparing them for their upcoming professional experience placement.

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Gregory S, Dalgarno B, Campbell M, Reiners T, Knox V, Masters Y. Changing directions through VirtualPREX: engaging pre-service teachers in virtual professional experience. In Cleland B, editor, Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE 2011). Tasmania: University of Tasmania. 2011. p. 491-501

Changing directions through VirtualPREX: engaging pre-service teachers in virtual professional experience

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