ERIC Number: EJ774648
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Jan
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-8756-3894
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
SimTeacher.com: An Online Simulation Tool for Teacher Education
Fischler, Robert
TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, v51 n1 p44-47 Jan 2007
Simulation-based learning (SBL) is a recent yet promising pedagogical approach. There is a plethora of medical and business simulations. However, there is a lack of simulation tools for other areas of study, like teacher education. Furthermore, since the content of many educational simulations is "hard-coded" into the tool, educators typically cannot modify or create the simulation content. This article describes SimTeacher.com, an online simulation for teacher education (http://www.simteacher.com). The instructional design goals of SimTeacher.com were twofold: (1) to build a SBL tool for teacher education; and (2) to let educators create its content. Preservice teachers become "SimTeachers" in a virtual school, applying concepts they are learning in their college courses to teaching scenarios in a simulated environment. The virtual schools contain fictional yet interactive characters that add life to the scenarios and personalize the SBL experience for learners. SimTeachers may perform routine activities, like creating lessons plans, taking attendance or completing an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). (Contains 1 table and 5 figures.)
Descriptors: Simulated Environment, Preservice Teacher Education, Educational Planning, Preservice Teachers, Instructional Design, Computer Simulation, Computer Uses in Education, Teaching Methods, Virtual Classrooms, Experiential Learning
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A