This study reports the results of a mixed-methods investigation on the impact of a virtual reality (VR) tool on Iranian EFL learners' willingness to communicate (WTC) and oral proficiency. Twenty upper-intermediate EFL learners were divided into experimental and control groups role-playing as museum guides with and without Google Expeditions VR…

For adolescents who struggle with reading, a lack of confidence and reluctance to read in content areas such as history/social science presents challenges to learning. More specifically, difficulties with text comprehension and analysis limit content knowledge acquisition and self-expression, which can impact academic success. Therefore, it is…

This study describes the use of guided learning activities that exposed aspiring helping professionals to the challenges and discrimination experienced by individuals living in poverty. Pretest/posttest and qualitative analysis of participants' reactions to a Poverty Simulation and a Bridges Out of Poverty Workshop were analyzed to explore…

This dissertation study focused on complications and opportunities that surface for classroom learning in the intersections of a teacher's methods, students' literacies, and digital space. Though researchers have discussed adolescents' literacies and participation in out-of-school digital spaces, there persists a need to explore and document the…

The theory and lessons of knowledge exchange, in both a physical and virtual environment, suggest a framework for understanding the specific requirements for a digital design class in "Second Life". Through teaching and observing students who were asked to complete a machinima project, our research provided examples of the strengths and…

Discusses a design-feature framework for analyzing "simulations" in realistic-communication activities in foreign language classrooms. The link between design factors and two aspects of student language (quantity of output and topic-structure) with reference to two "simulation-type" activities are examined. (30 references) (GLR)

Advocates the use of simulations in second-language classrooms, examining their advantages and presenting data from a study on college students' perceptions of the effectiveness of these advantages in an advanced second-language classroom. The study indicates that students found simulations enjoyable, motivating, and effective in promoting…

A case for the use of simulation in speech education is built, and the teacher is encouraged to experiment with this strategy in various learning environments. The simulation model is described in the Planning Stage, the Developing Stage, the Implementing Stage, and the Evaluating Stage. It is concluded that as a teaching strategy, simulation…

In response to the recent emphasis on communicative skills and simulation in the language class, a new approach brings the techniques of dramatic improvisation into the classroom. (MSE)

The first two stages of a research project on the teaching of second languages in Scotland using the communicative approach are reported. In the first stage, 59 language teachers in 20 schools were interviewed concerning their understanding of the notion of communicative competence and its development in the classroom. In the second stage, French…

The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a…