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Creating Thinking Professionals: Teaching and Learning about Professional Practice Using Interactive Technology
... planning, linguistic preparation, role and task familiarization) should take place before the simulations and debriefing afterwards (e.g. consolidate student learning though the discussion of their experience) (Bambrough, 1994;Gaudart, 1999;Waniganayake et al, 2006). In fact, Garris et al. (2005) mention that debriefing should be considered as the most critical part of utilizing a game or a simulation in a language classroom. ...
p> The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of virtual simulation-based language learning in a foreign language class in Korea. Total 35 1st-year university students in Korea participated in this research to figure out the effect of simulations. A virtual English learning community, ‘Cypris Chat’ in Second Life was selected as a learning tool. For the data collection, a survey questionnaire was distributed and analyzed quantitatively. The result shows that the majority of the students had a positive attitude toward using a virtual simulation in English learning and had better understanding in learning English by experiencing an authentic practice. The first section of this paper provides a general overview of simulations in educational settings through an insightful literature review of the current research in the area. The review includes a comprehensive outlook on simulations, an example of successful classroom integration and some of the considerations researchers have found for their implementation. The latter section addresses the research method, results and conclusions. </p
... It has been argued that social presence can be transferred into online systems thus creating a "weaving of the face to face and online community" (Garrison & Vaughan, 2008, cited in Smith, Stacey, & Ha, 2009. This suggests there is a legitimate place for a social presence and constructivist, active engagement that incorporates a combination of FTF contact and more remote electronic communication approaches (Gosper, Malfroy, & McKenzie, 2013;Parker,et al., 2013;Waniganayake, Wilks, & Linser, 2007). Dunlap and Lowenthal (2014) caution that despite the presence of engaging online resources and activities, students can feel that the teacher is "absent for the course" which can then decrease levels of academic engagement (p. 1). ...
The national reform agenda for early childhood education and care across Australia has led to an increased demand for qualified early childhood teachers. In response, universities have developed innovative approaches in delivering early childhood teacher education courses designed to support existing diploma qualified educators to gain their teaching qualifications. One such course at a major Australian University incorporated a flexible multi-modal option of study which included community-based, on line e-learning and face-to-face intensive tutorials. This paper reports on a study examining the outcomes for students undertaking their studies using this course delivery mode. The study sought to examine the students’ perceptions of the efficacy of the teaching and learning approach in meeting their learning needs, and the factors that were most influential in informing these perceptions. The findings indicated that it was the inclusion of contact and a social presence in the online learning environment which was most influential.
... planning, linguistic preparation, role and task familiarization) should take place before the simulations and debriefing afterwards (e.g. consolidate student learning though the discussion of their experience) (Bambrough, 1994;Gaudart, 1999;Waniganayake, et al, 2006). In fact, Garris, et al. (2005) mention that debriefing should be considered as the most critical part of utilizing a game or a simulation in a language classroom. ...
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of virtual simulation-based language learning in a foreign language class in Korea. Total 35 1st-year university students in Korea participated in this research to figure out the effect of simulations. A virtual English learning community, ‘Cypris Chat’ in Second Life was selected as a learning tool. For the data collection, a survey questionnaire was distributed and analysed quantitatively. The result shows that the majority of the students had a positive attitude toward using a virtual simulation in English learning and had better understanding in learning English by experiencing an authentic practice. The first section of this paper provides a general overview of simulations in educational settings through an insightful literature review of the current research in the area. The review includes a comprehensive outlook on simulations, an example of successful classroom integration and some of the considerations researchers have found for their implementation. The latter section addresses the research method, results and conclusions.
This paper will explain the policies relating to teaching and learning at RMIT University. The need to harness the potential of communication and information technologies as a means of implementing the Teaching and Learning Strategy has been evident since its inception in 1995 and through its refinement and reaffirmation in 1997. There has been an increase in the use of CIT in individual projects over the last few years which has increased flexible access to RMIT courses in several ways. However, it has become increasingly clear that a sustained approach to developing flexible courses for both our on-campus and offcampus students required a university-wide approach. In 1998, the University embarked on a comprehensive and ambitious project to align information technology systems to the principles and goals of the Teaching and Learning Strategy. The components of this IT Alignment Project are described. One of the major components is the RMIT Distributed Learning System (DLS). T...
Abstract This paper,describes,and,discusses,the pedagogical,foundations,and
E-learning is currently proliferating at a rapid rate and the impact of this proliferation on teaching and learning raises many questions with no clear answers. For example what impact if any do the new e- learning technologies have on the role of the teacher in the learning process? To what extent do collaborative authorship practices using the new technologies impact on the role and authority of teachers? And if authority relations between teachers and students are altered, what consequences and effects does it have on learning? These questions and others arose as a result of students' evaluation to a web-based role- play simulation at the University of Melbourne during 2002 and 2003. This paper addresses some of these issues and argues that the new learning spaces enabled by the ICT revolution affect the authority and role of teachers. It recommends a strategy of collaboration and co-inquiry of teachers and learners that may better utilize the advantages of the new learning spaces.
The scientific method has been accepted and valued as contributing to knowledge, to say the least, because it has offered a way by which to minimize uncertainty and enhance our predictive capacity in the domains in which
Role-play is a recognized face-to-face teaching method for developing skills, knowledge and attitudes. It is now possible to combine the powerful learning experience of role-play with the advantages of the online environment. A case study of an asynchronous, anonymous, online role-play conducted as part of a teaching course for academic staff is reported. Findings suggest that online role-play may be an effective teaching method for developing understanding and exploring complex issues, and for experiencing and understanding differing views. In addition, the personal comfort inherent in anonymity supports involvement, although this may be affected by cultural and personal factors; while the high level of role engagement often found in face-to-face role-play may be reduced within the online environment. Further research is needed into: levels of involvement and role engagement; the optimum number of participants; and the effects of asynchronicity and anonymity. Le Jeu de rôle en ligne : Anonymat, Engagement et Risque. Le jeu de rôle est une méthode d'enseignement face à face reconnue pour développer les compétences, le savoir et les attitudes. Il est possible maintenant de combiner l'expérience éducative puissante du jeu de rôle avec les avantages de l'environnement enligne. Cet article rend compte d'un jeu de rôle asynchrone et anonyme conduit en ligne comme une partie d'un cours de formation destiné à des enseignants. Les résultats suggèrent que le jeu de rôle en ligne peut être une méthode d'enseignement efficace pour favoriser la compréhension et explorer des problèmes complexes pour faire des expériences et pour aider à comprendre des point de vue différents. De plus le confort personnel lié à l'anonymat contribue à l'implication bien qu'elle puisse être affectée par des facteurs culturels et personnels tandis que le haut niveau de l'engagement que l'on trouve dans le jeu de rôle face à face puisse être réduit dans l'environnement en ligne. D'autre recherches sont nécessaires sur les niveaux d'implication et l'engagement dans le rôle, le nombre optimum de participants et les effets de l'asynchronisme et de l'anonymat. Online-Rollenspiel: Anonymität, Verp ichtung und Risiko. Rollenspiel ist eine anerkannte personenzentrierte Lehrmethode, um Fertigkeiten, Wissen und Einstellungen zu entwickeln. Es ist jetzt möglich, die starke Lernerfahrungsmöglichkeit von Rollenspielen mit den Vorteilen von Online-Nutzung zu koppeln. Es wird über die Fallstudie eines asynchronen, anonymen Online-Rollenspiels berichtet, das als Teil eines Lehrkurses für den akademischen Stab eingesetzt wurde. Es scheint, dass Online-Rollenspiele eine wirksame Lehrmethode sein können, Verständnis für komplexe Angelegenheiten zu entwickeln, sie zu erkunden und auch unterschiedliche Ansichten darüber nachvollziehen zu können. Außerdem unterstützt der in der Anonymität inhärente Abstand persönliche Beteiligung, obwohl dies auch eine Folge kultureller oder persönlicher Faktoren sein kann, während das starke Rollenengagement, das oft im direkten Rollenspiel gefunden wird, durch eine Onlinesituation reduziert werden kann. Weitere Forschung ist erforderlich bezüglich des Niveaus der persönlichen Beteiligung und der Rollenübernahme, der optimalen Teilnehmeranzahl sowie des Einflusses von Asynchronität und Anonymität.
The author surveys current literature on communities of practice and their potential development using networked technology and remote collaboration, specifically with respect to World Wide Web (WWW) communication tools. The vast majority of the current literature in this new research area consists of case studies. Communities of practice have the following components that distinguish them from traditional organizations and learning situations: (1) different levels of expertise that are simultaneously present in the community of practice; (2) fluid peripheral to center movement that symbolizes the progression from being a novice to an expert; and (3) completely authentic tasks and communication. Supporting concepts include aspects of constructivism (i.e., ill-structured problems, facilitation, collaborative learning, and negotiated goals), community knowledge greater than individual knowledge, as well as an environment of safety and trust. Virtual communities are defined as designed communities using current networked technology, whereas communities of practice emerge within the designed community via the ways their participants use the designed community. Current networked technology has both advantages and disadvantages in emergent development of communities of practice. Because most collaboration is text-based, norms are reduced, enabling introverted participants to share their ideas on an equal footing with extroverts. However, the greatest problem with virtual communities is withdrawing, or attrition. This problem can be reduced somewhat through good facilitation techniques and adequate scaffolding, especially in the cases of online communication techniques and technical support. Finally, the author recommends further research questions and proposes a case study, whose purpose is to observe the effects of an emerging community of practice within the designed environment of a virtual community.
Simulations are an important part of many traditional classes in Computer Networking. As web-based learning environments grow in popularity the need for simulations has become pronounced. This paper reports on a study to compare the performance of students enrolled in two web-based learning environments, one with a simulation package and the second with graphics and text only. Analysis shows statistically significant improvements in performance in the simulation group compared to the other group.