The Use of Visual-based Simulated Environments in Teacher Preparation

While virtual technology for training in the simulation field has a long history in medicine, aviation, and the military, the application of similar emerging and innovative technologies in teacher preparation and education has been limited. TLE TeachLive (Teaching Learning Environment, Teaching in a Virtual Environment) [TLE] is an inventive mixed-reality environment (the blending of real and synthetic content) where prospective teachers can interact with a group of virtual students. The purpose of the virtual teaching environment of TLE is to strengthen teacher recruitment, preparation, and retention in education by allowing teachers to improve their skills with virtual students, providing a more constructive and ethical approach to learning the art of teaching. The protected environment allows pre-service teachers to utilize their emergent knowledge of behavior, diversity, and effective instruction in a flexible and safe practice environment. In this simulated environment, permission does not have to be gained to work with actual children and they are not exposed to missteps on the part of novice teachers as the teachers learn to refine their instructional techniques. This study investigated pre-service teachers’ use of differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior, a set of behavior management strategies, in a simulated classroom. Results indicated that the majority of participants evidenced an increase in the use of these strategies to enhance student engagement in the classroom.