Exploring approaches to teaching in three-dimensional virtual worlds

Author(s):

Claire Englund, (Department of Education and Centre for Educational Development, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden)

Single Sentence Summary:

This paper explores teachers' approaches to teaching in three-dimensional virtual worlds (3DVWs) in health care education revealing that teaching in 3DVWs necessitates the adoption of a student-centred approach to teaching.

Abstract:

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how teachers’ approaches to teaching and conceptions of teaching and learning with educational technology influence the implementation of three-dimensional virtual worlds (3DVWs) in health care education.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through thematic interviews with eight teachers to elicit their approaches to teaching in a 3DVW and their conceptions of teaching and learning with technology in online health care education.

Findings

Results indicate that teaching in 3DVWs necessitates the adoption of a student-centred approach to teaching. The teachers’ underlying approaches to teaching and learning became evident in their student-centred approach and use of problem-based activities. The immersive, social nature of the environment facilitated the creation of authentic, communicative learning activities created by the health care teachers and was in alignment with their disciplinary approaches to teaching and learning.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size of the study is relatively small which limits the degree of external validity and generalisability of the results.

Practical implications

If sustainability of 3DVWs is to be achieved, academic development activities for teachers and their communities of practice may be necessary to support conceptual change and facilitate a shift to student-centred teaching where necessary.

Originality/value

There is limited research concerning the relationship between teachers’ approaches to teaching and the use of educational technologies, in particular the implementation of 3DVWs.

Keywords:

Educational technology, Academic development, Approaches to teaching, Conceptions of teaching and learning, Three-dimensional virtual worlds

Type:

Research paper

Publisher:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Received:

16 December 2016

Revised:

15 January 2017

Accepted:

19 January 2017

Copyright:

© Emerald Publishing Limited 2017
Published by Emerald Publishing Limited
Licensed re-use rights only

Citation:

Claire Englund, (2017) "Exploring approaches to teaching in three-dimensional virtual worlds", The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, Vol. 34 Issue: 2, pp.140-151, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJILT-12-2016-0058

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