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.
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.
Challenging, eye-opening, and changing. U.S. teacher training in Korea: Creating experiences that will enhance global perspectives
This study explored the short-term international experience of pre-service teachers to create and enhance global perspectives. These teachers (n=5), all female graduate students at a university in the U.S., were fully immersed in a foreign culture for three weeks while teaching English to primary and secondary students in Korea. Pre-, during-, and post-data were collected using surveys, interviews, and journals to investigate how the participants work and live while being completely immersed in a new culture. Overall, teachers expressed a transformation in both their teaching philosophy and cultural perspectives despite the short duration of the experience. They also reported that this linguistic and cultural immersion had not only advanced their global perspective but had also provided them with the necessary tools and understanding to work with diverse populations more emphatically and effectively. The findings suggest that additional teacher training is needed to best prepare new teachers for today’s classrooms.
Effective teacher training in the use of three-dimensional immersive virtual worlds for learning and instruction purposes: A literature review
The overarching question that guides this review is to identify the key components of effective teacher training in the use of three-dimensional (3D) immersive virtual worlds (IVWs) for learning and instruction purposes. The process of identifying the essential components of effective teacher training in the use of 3D IVWs will be described step-by-step. First, the need of virtual teacher training will be established (why), followed by the identification of the required teaching skills. Next, existing empirical guidelines for teaching in 3D IVWs will be presented from which the skills required for effective teaching in 3D IVWs will be extrapolated (what). The final step (how) will consist of presenting teachers with compelling evidence of the unique affordances of 3D IVWs for education, with the goal to promote teachers’ commitment to the use of 3D IVWs. Implications will be relevant for teacher educators, pre- and in-service teachers, administrators, principals, and instructional designers.
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.
An international immersion into co-teaching: A wake-up call for teacher candidates in general and special education
This case study explored the short-term international co-teaching experience of pre-service general education teachers who were paired up with intern special education teachers (N = 8) to provide English language instruction to students in South Korea. Pre-, during-, and post-data were collected to investigate how the participants experienced their co-teaching. The narratives of two participants were chosen for phenomenological analysis, reflecting an overwhelmingly positive and a rather negative co-teaching experience. The key ingredients to a successful partnership were identified as open communication, the willingness to accept both positive and negative feedback, the willingness to learn from or get inspired by someone who may have less teaching experience, mutual respect and trust, compatibility of personal characteristics, and frequent check-ins. The potential threats to a positive relationship were identified as mismatched personalities, incompatible teaching goals, the lack of co-planning, conflicting approaches to lesson planning, unequal roles, infrequent check-ins, and lack of trust and respect. Despite these challenges, the findings indicate that immersing teacher candidates in co-teaching experiences resulted in positive perceptions of co-teaching and increased the participants’ skills related to collaborative teaching for all but one candidate. The findings have led to recommendations for the successful set-up of co-teaching experiences.
Collaborative science learning in three-dimensional immersive virtual worlds: Pre-service teachers' experiences in Second Life
The purpose of this mixed methods study was to enculturate pre-service teachers into Second Life (SL), a three-dimensional immersive virtual world, and to measure their change in attitude towards the potential of SL for education. By completing collaborative assignments in SL, nineteen pre-service general education teachers explored an educational, marine biology island in SL and evaluated its potential for incorporation in general and special education curricula. A pre- and post-survey inquired about the participants’ perception of the usability of virtual worlds for education. Participants collaboratively explored the marine ecosystem of the Abyss Observatory (Nishimura, Lim, & Koyamada, 2012), reflected on its unique affordances, and designed activities for an inclusive classroom, framed by a pedagogical rationale. The difference between the participants’ two attitude scores generated by the pre- and post-survey was calculated and was found to be statistically significant with a large effect size. Results suggest that this 7-Step Virtual Worlds Teacher Training Workshop had a positive impact on the participants’ attitude towards integration of SL into teaching. Five themes emerged with regards to the unique affordances of the Abyss Observatory’s deep-sea area. Finally, the “Teacher-Prep Virtual World Six-Step Model” for effective pre-service teacher preparation for teaching in SL was developed.
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.
A systematic, inquiry-based 7-Step Virtual Worlds Teacher Training
Eighteen special education teachers explored one prominent example of three-dimensional virtual worlds, namely Second Life. This study aimed to (a) determine their perception of the effectiveness of a systematic 7-Step Virtual Worlds Teacher Training workshop in terms of enabling them to make informed decisions about the usability of virtual worlds for students with social skills challenges and (b) determine whether there was a teacher change of attitude resulting from engagement in this systematic workshop. The seven steps are described in detail. The teachers’ change of attitude was statistically significant with a large effect size. The teachers’ feedback on the effectiveness of the training program resulted in 14 practical guidelines, which informed the revised 4-Step VirtualWorlds Teacher Training model that can be used both in general and special education with minor adjustments depending on the teacher and student population.
Teacher training in the use of a three-dimensional immersive virtual world: Building understanding through first-hand experiences
This study offers recommendations and a model for other teacher educators who are interested in training teachers in the use of three-dimensional (3D) immersive virtual worlds (IVWs) for their own teaching. Twelve special education teachers collaboratively explored the usability of Second Life (SL) for special education by completing a full inquiry cycle to develop the ability to make informed decisions about the affordances and challenges of virtual world teaching and to help identify effective components for virtual worlds teacher training. Ten educational SL islands were explored critically. Mixed-methods data analysis and triangulation were based on the analysis and synthesis of a preliminary survey, a mid-reflection after several virtual explorations, the collaborative analysis of an existing SL lesson plan, the collaborative development of a SL lesson plan, a post-reflection, and a post-survey. Several key benefits of 3D IVWs for special education students emerged from the qualitative analyses, namely social skills practice, collaborative learning towards a joint goal with a competitive element, and increased motivation to participate, especially for topics that would otherwise be perceived as boring. The qualitative data informed the development of guidelines for virtual worlds teacher training and the elements of an ideal SL island designed for special education. The change of attitude towards the usability of virtual worlds in education as a result of the workshop was not statistically significant.