Abstract
Providing effective feedback is a skill preservice teachers develop through practice. According to Hattie (2012), feedback is essential in the learning process, is prevalent in effective teaching, and its purpose is to help students determine current level of performance, so adjustments can be made to enhance performance to desired level. This qualitative case study was developed to provide 16, K-12 preservice teacher candidates with an opportunity to practice providing feedback in a virtual live environment. Candidates participated in (e.g. interacted with avatar, observed interaction, and/or critiqued interaction) a 60-minute simulation to practice feedback, then completed oral reflection and a written reflective survey (questionnaire) consisting of rating scales and corresponding written response items. Qualitative data collected was coded and analyzed for themes, while quantitative data explored central tendencies, and variations for each survey indicator. Results indicate live simulated sessions in the Virtual Avatar Lab (VAL) were beneficial in developing feedback skills. Teacher candidates reported favorable perceptions with respect to preparation to facilitate feedback conversations, in most cases felt the student avatars were authentic, and felt better prepared to help their future students take ownership of their own areas of strength and room for growth.
Highlights
1.1 Statement and Importance of the ProblemFor preservice teachers, providing effective, appropriate feedback is an interpersonal skill that should be developed as part of becoming an effective educator throughout their teacher preparation program
The authors, noted preservice teacher candidates enrolled in a foundations of education course expressed frequent concerns about being able to provide effective feedback in the contexts of skill and efficacy, as it pertained to addressing room for growth
Qualitative data collected indicated an overwhelmingly positive perception of experiences in using the Virtual Avatar Lab (VAL) related to increased content knowledge and increased confidence in facilitating feedback conversations
Summary
1.1 Statement and Importance of the ProblemFor preservice teachers, providing effective, appropriate feedback is an interpersonal skill that should be developed as part of becoming an effective educator throughout their teacher preparation program. The authors, noted preservice teacher candidates enrolled in a foundations of education course expressed frequent concerns about being able to provide effective feedback in the contexts of skill and efficacy, as it pertained to addressing room for growth Due to this concern, the authors collaborated to utilize the Virtual Avatar Lab (VAL), a virtual live environment, in which preservice teachers could practice providing feedback to student avatars. Mixed reality experiences in virtual environments (VEs) can be effective in teacher preparation programs because they include four key elements related to simulated experiences: authenticity, targeted, personalized, and iterative opportunities for practice (Mursion, 2018; Falloon, 2010; Girvan & Savage, 2019).
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