Nussli, Natalie
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Creating a “Space In-Between”. Learning on the Physical–Hybrid–Virtual continuum
This mixed-methods study captures multiple stakeholders’ voices and experiences of a hybrid-flexible (HyFlex) learning environment. It juxtaposes different perceptions of learning experiences, equivalency, and interactions. Tutor strategies to facilitate communication across space are explored. Thirty-six undergraduate students experienced the HyFlex model with two synchronous participation modes (i.e., on-site vs. synchronous remote) and an asynchronous option. The study explores the HyFlex setting from three different perspectives. A survey captured students’ perceptions of their motivation, learning, engagement levels, ease of communication, and collaboration experiences within or across spaces. An observation report sheds light on strategies to mediate the transition between the physical and virtual space. A tutor’s journal provides the perspective of teaching on the physical–hybrid–virtual continuum. Meeting students’ needs equally well in the physical and virtual space emerges as a key challenge. The article contributes to the research about hybrid education environments and the intentional planning of versatile interactional spaces.
Culturally responsive pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning, ubiquitous learning, and seamless learning. How these paradigms inform the intentional design of learner-centered online learning environments
The purpose of this theoretical chapter is to develop a one-stop checklist that assists educators in providing online teaching grounded in the principles of culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP), Universal Design for Learning (UDL), ubiquitous learning (u-learning), and seamless learning. The authors explore how these paradigms inform the intentional design of learner-centered approaches in online learning environments and what an integrated approach could look like. This chapter will be relevant for faculty in higher education aiming to offer online curricula that emphasize active, collaborative, constructive, authentic, and goal-directed learning.
Lectures and discussions in semi-immersive virtual reality learning environments: the effect of communication modality on learner satisfaction and mental effort
This chapter describes a study that was conducted in a semi-immersive desktop virtual reality environment. The study investigated teacher trainees' perceptions of their mental effort in Second Life, their satisfaction with the communication modalities, and their perceived social behavioral changes. In the first event, only the instructor (host) used voice to communicate while all participants as well as the in-text facilitator (co-host) used text chat only. In the second event, not only did both hosts use voice, but the participants also had the option to use voice rather than text. The majority of teacher trainees appreciated the freedom to choose either modality. The integration of voice was perceived as humanizing the discussion, increasing the flow, and making the conversation more engaging. However, the addition of multiple voices was believed to increase their mental effort. While some teacher trainees felt more relaxed and more open in a virtual discussion, others reported a lack of attention and honesty as well as a tendency to ignore social conventions.
Using video-aided self-reflection to prepare novice special education teachers: Meeting the diverse needs of students
The growing diversity of America’s public schools has created pressure for universities and teacher preparation programs to develop strategies to aid novice teachers in meeting a variety of student needs. In addition to cultural and linguistic differences, special education teachers must also be prepared to meet the variety of academic, social, and emotional needs of students identified with disabilities. To accomplish this, studies investigating the potential of video based reflection to impact novice and pre-service teachers’ ability to implement pedagogical theory into practice have increased. This chapter examines the use of video as a tool to engage novice special education teachers’ reflection on the implementation of culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP), differentiated instruction (DI), and universal design for learning (UDL).
Capturing the successes and failures during pandemic teaching: An investigation of university students’ perceptions of their faculty’s emergency remote teaching approaches
This research investigates teacher candidates’ experiences during two semesters of imposed remote instruction during a pandemic. Through qualitative research interviewing, the perceptions of a purposeful sample of five preservice teachers were captured to investigate the faculty’s emergency remote teaching approaches. The theory-based interview guide was developed based on six concepts, namely, feedback, care, student engagement, choices, collaboration, and autonomous learning. The results present factors affecting the quality of feedback. Several challenges were identified in the way and the timing in which content was structured, presented, and released. The interviewed participants’ engagement levels were determined by regular synchronous interaction, highly structured learning platforms, and precise communication. The challenges of collaboration, a lack of social cohesion, and a lack of adaptations made to the digital curriculum affected students’ motivation, engagement, and efficiency levels. Distinct structures, clearly communicated purposes, and a well-defined organization were considered to be key to ensuring learning autonomy. The study contributes to refocusing efforts with a view towards post-pandemic teaching.
Facilitation strategies to moderate synchronous virtual discussion groups in teacher training
This chapter reports on an exploratory case study investigating strategies to facilitate group discussions in Second Life, a three-dimensional virtual world. The purpose was to identify best practices for discussion facilitation in-world from the perspective of a virtual host and a discussion facilitator. A host and a facilitator moderated four virtual group discussions with 16 in-service teachers enrolled in a graduate technology class. The chapter discusses several themes that emerged from the host’s and the facilitator’s debriefings. Key themes include the need for a careful selection of the communication modality (text or voice or a combination), strategies to promote interactivity among the participants, the critical need for at least one facilitator in addition to the host, the need for clear ground rules for the participants, and clear guidelines for the host and the facilitator. Several challenges experienced during the process of facilitating these virtual events are discussed and recommendations are made to address these difficulties. This chapter is of interest to educators who are planning to substitute in-class group discussions with synchronous group discussions in-world.
Strategies to support teachers in designing culturally responsive curricula in online learning environments
The purpose of this theoretical chapter is to identify strategies that help educators develop online learning curricula to meet the needs of culturally diverse students. The first part of this chapter offers insights into culturally responsive teaching (CRT) from multiple perspectives. Specifically, the authors explore the importance of CRT in teacher education programs, how to evaluate teachers' cultural competencies, how to initiate the transformation process into culturally responsive educators, how teachers perceive the value of CRT programs, what pre-service and novice teachers typically struggle with in their attempts to teach diverse student populations, and how students perceive cultural diversity. The second part of the chapter is dedicated to an in-depth discussion of practical approaches to developing culturally responsive online curricula for both 2D and 3D learning environments, how to prepare faculty to meet the needs of diverse students in online courses, and how to stimulate pre-service teachers' reflections on CRT.
Does short-term international immersion have a sustainable impact on teachers’ cultural competence? Follow-up interviews eight years after a teaching experience in South Korea
This qualitative study was conducted with teacher candidates studying in a Masters program at a university on the west coast in the United States. The main goal was to capture if immersion in a foreign culture and the short-term teaching of primary and secondary school students in South Korea had any sustainable impact on the participating teachers’ perception of their cultural knowledge, competence, and awareness almost a decade after their immersion experience. The researchers interviewed four teachers who had participated in one of two immersion projects conducted in 2010 and 2011. A questionnaire on teachers’ self-efficacy regarding culturally responsive teaching (modified from Chu & Garcia, 2014) was administered prior to the interview giving the participants a tool to reflect on what it means to be a culturally responsive teacher and to self-assess their own cultural competence and teaching practices. Four themes emerged from the interviews, namely, perspective taking ability, relationships, teaching strategies, and cultural knowledge. The findings indicate that international immersion not only offers an effective way for pre-service teachers to receive intercultural training. It also has the potential to create transformative learning experiences by immersing students in cultural contexts unfamiliar to them. The findings from this study will be interesting to teacher educators who consider integrating international immersion projects into their teacher education programs.
Intentionality in blended learning design: Applying the principles of meaningful learning, u-Learning, UDL, and CRT
The purpose of this theoretical chapter is to develop a tool that helps educators develop digitally mediated learning (DML) episodes by systematically applying the principles of four paradigms, namely meaningful learning, ubiquitous learning (u-learning), universal design for learning (UDL), and culturally responsive teaching (CRT). The goal is to harness the affordances of each paradigm and combine them into an approach that systematically enhances and enriches DML. This chapter will be relevant for teachers in higher education wishing to complement their face-to-face teaching with carefully designed digitally mediated content capitalizing collaboration, interaction, personal relevance, and projects that can provide creativity-enhancing learning.
Avatar-based group discussions in virtual worlds: Facilitation, communication modalities, & benefits of participation (Book Chapter Enhancement)
This article focuses on developing guidelines for the effective facilitation of avatar-based group discussions. This qualitative inquiry is guided by an investigation of (1) social affordances of avatar-based discussions, with an emphasis on social and physical presence, (2) strategies to help establish rapport with other avatars, and (3) the complexities of communication modalities (voice vs. text) in avatar-based discussions. Guidelines for the effective moderation of avatar-based discussion groups are presented throughout the chapter, such as, creating a feeling of acceptance and non-judgment, communicating synchronously to support immediacy, demonstrating virtual sharing acts, using voice for humanized communication, showing social emotionality, and observing real-life social norms.