1. Reimagining pre-service
teacher education:
the use of virtual worlds
to support and promote
innovative teaching
practice
LISA JACKA
E: lisa.jacka@scu.edu.au
SL: lis Ruby
Twitter: LisaJacka

2. To investigate the extent to which the use of virtual world
teaching and learning environments support and promote
innovative teaching practice in pre-service teacher education.

3. • What are staff and pre-service teachers’ views on the potential of
virtual world teaching and learning environments to support and
promote innovative teaching practice?
• Which aspects of the virtual world teaching and learning
environment and virtual world learning activities have the potential
to contribute to the pre-service teacher’s learning experience?
• To what extent does the introduction to virtual world teaching and
learning environments influence staff and pre-service teachers’
willingness and capacity to develop innovative teaching practice?
• What response do staff and pre-service teachers have to their
experience in virtual world teaching and learning environments?

4. “a computer-based, simulated environment
in which users are able to immerse
themselves, and within which they are able
to, through their avatars (computer-based
representations of themselves or alternative
selves), experience, manipulate, interact
with and/or create virtual objects and places
that are graphically depicted in three
dimensions. The objects and places within a
virtual world may be modeled according to
those in the real world or may be fantasy
based. Most current virtual world
applications allow for multiple users and
include facilities that enable users to
communicate and interact with one another
within the virtual environment” (Dalgarno et
al, 2010, p. 270) SCU Interaction Island in Second Life

5. 2012
1. EDU00414 Science and Technology Education
2: Curriculum and Pedagogy (3rd yr ECE/Primary)
2. EDU10132 Curriculum and Programming (4th yr
Primary)
3. EDU00412 Human Society and its
Environments Education II: Curriculum and
Pedagogy (3rd yr ECE/Primary)
4. EDU10003 Learning Technologies (2nd yr
ECE/Primary)
5. EDU00413 Science and Technology Education
1: Foundation (2nd yr ECE/Primary)
6. TCH10517 Early Childhood Principles and
Practice (1st yr ECE)
7. EDU10713 Curriculum Assessment and New
Media (Grad Dip Ed, BEd and Double Degrees/Secondary )
Exploring Brownian Motion at the Exploratorium sim

6. EDU00413 Science and Technology
Education 1: Foundation
Plan – replicate the current real life
project in the virtual world.
Act – I taught the design process in
Second Life. 16 pre-service teachers
created a sustainable design project in
Second Life.
Observe – The lecturer and I talked to
the pre-service teachers about their
experiences. As part of the task the pre-
service teachers created a design brief
and reflected on their experience.
Reflect – Jacka, L., Logan, M., & Ellis, A. (2011).
Facilitating creativity in pre-service teacher
education courses through their engagement in
virtual worlds. Paper presented at the iVERG
Conference 2011: Immersive technologies for
learning: Virtual implementation, real outcomes.
Middlesbrough, UK.

7. EDU10003 Learning Technologies
Plan – to offer the students the option to
create a web based resource using virtual
worlds.
Act – a pre-service teacher who had
previously worked in second life created a
virtual world maths learning environment.
Observe – I talked to the pre-service
teacher about her experiences. As part of
the task she presented her work to an
audience in second life. She also write
about her experience.
Reflect – Jacka, L. and Booth, K. (full paper
under review). Pre-service teachers designing
virtual world learning environments.
International Journal of Virtual and Personal
Learning Environments.

8. EDU10713 Curriculum Assessment and
New Media
Pre-service teachers experienced second life through
participation and observation.
Data - blog posts (n-96)
• 8% - wouldn’t use VWs in their teaching and/or could
see no place for it in education
• 50% - were conflicted about the benefits and the
barriers
• 27% - would use it if it was available
• 15% - would use in their teaching

9. Realisation – Student realisation of the potential of how VWs could be used in their
teaching,
Replication – Students can describe how they might use the VW learning space and
activities to replicate and/or provide opportunities to replace traditional learning
environments and activities, and
Reimagining – Students can describe VW learning environments and activities that go
beyond what is currently possible in traditional learning environments.

10. To investigate the extent to which the use of virtual world
teaching and learning environments support and promote
innovative teaching practice in pre-service teacher education.
"Being introduced to VW's has allowed me to
achieve success in my learning and transport that
engagement and enthusiasm over to the primary
students I am now teaching. When I started my
degree the thought of understanding and using
VW's in my teaching practice never occurred to
me. Now seeing the excitement from the students
and enthusiasm from the teaching staff at X
Primary School and knowing that I am a driver of a
new and innovative practices is very exciting.
Introduction to this platform has been critical in
shaping my pedagogy and fostering the courage
to explore, make mistakes and learn alongside my
peers and students.” (Student quote)