Learning from Virtual Students

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Lisa A. Dieker, Carrie L. Straub, Charles E. Hughes, Michael C. Hynes and Stacey Hardin

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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.\"

Ed 300 Last Class