Role-playing using avatars has been demonstrated as effective, but it has not been compared to role-playing with a live actor. In this study, undergraduate psychology students (N=93) conducted a clinical interview in a role-play with an avatar or live actor. Mixed methods included a survey and written reflection. The study found no differences in…

Background: In recent years, the use of virtual reality (VR) environments for education has gained interest in research and education. However, little is known about the potential of social VR environments for collaborative learning. Objectives: This study explores pre-service teachers' (PSTs') collaborative learning and role-based drama activity,…

Competency-based education in social work (CSWE, 2022) demands active learning methods that demonstrate professional competencies and practice behaviors. Role-plays and simulations are methods that link learning in the classroom with practice. This article explores role-play and simulation variants: basic role-play, real play, student-scripted…

To support professional competence development in teacher education, learning environments should allow learners to engage with professional tasks. It is crucial for knowledge and skill transfer in such learning environments to real-life context that preservice teachers perceive the task as authentic. However, due to a lack of prior knowledge,…

Being efficient learners is important in the modern workforce, but improved performance and cognitive load do not imply that students are efficient learners. This study investigated the effectiveness of a personalized role-playing game in students' learning efficiency (LE) and mental efficiency. Results showed that students in the personalized…

Information flow is one of the three main flows of supply chains. It is an abstract concept that can be challenging for students to grasp in its entirety. This article describes a role-playing game for teaching the topic of information flow in an undergraduate supply chain management course. The game allows students to simulate receiving and…

Avatar-based virtual reality (VR) is becoming more prevalent in industry and educational settings. There is, however, limited research on the extent to which gender stereotypes are present in this environment. The university laboratory study presented in this paper was conducted in a VR environment with participants who were randomly assigned to…

This exploratory study adopted immersive virtual reality (VR) technology to develop a task assessing college students' intercultural competence, specifically their ability to mediate an intercultural conflict. Participants were 22 students enrolled in the intercultural communication class in a U.S. university. They first completed a pre-conflict…

Poverty is a pervasive issue impacting many areas of human sciences and Extension. Individuals living in the United States may have varying attitudes toward poverty. Research has shown that poverty simulations are effective in modifying attitudes toward poverty. The Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) program is one such example that…

Few studies examine the use of live actors in simulated training for social work students. This paper offers a programmatic exemplar on the implementation of simulation training in ethical decision-making using professional live actors. It offers original findings on the experiences of Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work students (n…

In this mixed-method study, we investigated the impact and design of a multiuser, virtual reality (VR) supported teaching simulation, in comparison with live classroom teaching simulation, on the participatory training of teaching and the teaching knowledge development of student instructors. A total of 40 university teaching assistants…

The product owner role is one of three key roles in the Scrum software development process. Industry demand for product owners is growing exponentially, and educators need effective techniques for teaching students the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to be effective product owners. To address this need, this Teaching Tip describes how…

Virtual reality (VR) is an immersive innovative technology that can be used with occupational therapy students for bias training in preparation for fieldwork and clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of VR as a complementary educational tool in bias and microaggressions (MA) training for entry-level occupational…

This study investigated the efficacy of two distinct virtual training platforms, TeachLivE™ and Zoom with actors, in preparing preservice practitioners for behavior management in real-world settings. This exploratory study aimed to investigate individual participant skill acquisition and assess which platform better equipped participants with the…

Video games have become an important element of contemporary life. The need to use them in the field of education has given rise to the appearance of serious video games, which have been specially designed to achieve objectives at different educational levels and generate spaces for educational innovation. The purpose of this work is to…