Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of widely adopted but under-studied synthetic humanlike spokespersons (SHS) compared to organic human spokespersons in workplace training videos. The primary aim is to evaluate whether employees will rate training videos more negatively when they perceive their trainer to be synthetic such…

Background: Immersive virtual reality (IVR) is a new technology that could motivate learners, but also could contain distracting elements that increase cognitive demands on learners. In contrast, learning with conventional media, such as a narrated slideshow could be less motivating, but also less distracting. Objectives: This experiment…

While virtual simulations are a familiar professional training tool, they have only recently been implemented in teacher education programs. These simulations are used to complement traditional student teacher placement. In this paper, the author critically examines one teacher training simulation, TeachLivE, specifically in terms of its implicit…

Background: Benefited from advances in technology, virtual reality (VR) has been widely applied to learning content in operational training as well as hands-on courses. However, most current studies tend to evaluate learning effectiveness in this application, and few were focused on how learners can be benefited from transferring the knowledge…

With the study reported on here we aimed to determine and compare teacher perceptions of the concept of virtual reality between Turkish and South African teachers using metaphors. We adopted a phenomenological approach, and a questionnaire was administered to a total of 100 teachers in both countries, using random sampling. The study included 4…

In this study, we examined the professional development of preservice teachers (PTs) in the framework of simulation-based learning (SBL) during pedagogical courses. The study's goal was to examine the reflective discourse patterns by focusing mainly on the linguistic behaviour of the SBL's participants, to describe their experiences that tended to…

Recent research has emphasized the importance of leveraging embodied interactions for learning critical STEM concepts. ELASTIC3S--an embodied environment for learning about cross-cutting concepts (i.e., non-linear growth)--allows learners to interact with different science simulations through whole-body gestures. Technological advances in gesture…

There has been a surge in interest and implementation of immersive virtual reality (IVR)-based lessons in education and training recently, which has resulted in many studies on the topic. There are recent reviews which summarize this research, but little work has been done that synthesizes the existing findings into a theoretical framework. The…

Informal science activities occurring at various non-traditional learning sites present a pivotal model for involving youths in the science learning process. The dynamic landscape of emerging technologies has prompted the exploration of innovative methodologies to bolster and refine informal science education. However, the expanse of this field…

The use of simulations has increasingly gained momentum as a way of captivating students' attention and enhancing learning in the classroom. However, despite its increasing use as a teaching tool, only recently have scholars increasingly empirically considered how the use of simulations may impact student learning. Moreover, whereas qualitative…

This paper reports on a study aiming at examining the effects of virtual reality and animations on students' perceived learning. The study was conducted as an exploratory case study in virtual reality-based and animation-based environments. Participants were 12, 4th grade elementary school students enrolled at a public Science and Art Center. The…

Background: Owing to the exponential growth of three-dimensional (3D) environments amongst researchers and educators to create simulation games (SGs) in primary education, there is a growing interest to examine their potential support in computer science courses instead of visual programming environments. Objectives: This study explores the…

Authentic assessment has theorised benefits for student outcomes in higher education. More needs to be done, however, to empirically test relationships between the critical elements of authenticity and student outcomes, particularly in online learning environments. In this paper we examine whether an online simulation-based learning and assessment…

With an increasing emphasis on the importance of real-world learning in higher education, coupled with demand for placement experience, simulation has become an increasingly popular pedagogy. However, literature is scant on how students feed-forward their learning from the simulation debrief into placement. A mixed-method study of 108 student…

The purpose of this study was to investigate student satisfaction and perceived clinical reasoning and learning using a computer-based simulation platform that incorporates case-based learning principles. The simulation was used to replace a previously scheduled face-to-face clinical rotation which was cancelled due to COVID-19. A descriptive…