This academic inquiry examines the efficacy of virtual reality (VR)-based pedagogy for higher learning, specifically analyzing immersive digital instruction for rural agriculture undergraduates studying soil science in Colombia. The investigation tests two hypotheses: first, simulated learning situations improve academic achievement and student…

This article explores the practice of virtual learning in New Zealand schools. It reports on a study that examined how virtual learning has evolved over the last 30 years and how it is currently experienced by students and teachers, and makes recommendations for the future. Research participants were teaching principals selected from eight small…

It is commonly accepted that learners gain better understanding of science concepts when they perform 'hands-on' experiments in the lab. However, the lack of lab infrastructure, particularly in most rural schools, negatively affects the teaching of science. With the increasing potential of ICT to education, virtual laboratories (VL) have emerged…

Teachers use different pedagogies to improve learners' performance. The study explored the effect of Computer Simulations (CS) on Grade 11 learners' performance when taught Plants Biodiversity. A Solomon FourGroup design was used to cater for internal and external validity. Sixty-six learners were assigned to two Control Groups (CG) taught using…

Internationally, the practicum is a cornerstone of initial teacher education in preparing pre-service teachers to enter the teaching profession. This edited collection expands theory and research in pedagogies of practicum by examining different ways teacher education programs across the globe experienced, modified, and innovated the practicum in…

Social studies teachers are consistently looking for new avenues to motivate learners. To facilitate this process, simulations and roleplaying have garnered considerable attention. However, game-based simulations have received little consideration in social studies classrooms. Through game-based simulations, teachers can create sophisticated…

Mathematics instruction for students with intellectual disabilities and autism is important. However, it is imperative for researchers and practitioners to focus on the maintenance of mathematical concepts and not just acquisition for these students. Through a single-case multiple probe across participants study, researchers explored an…

Instructional technology is growing at rapid rates. In the field of mathematics, virtual manipulatives are a research-based tool that has shown to have a positive impact on students' mathematic achievement, as well as student engagement in learning. In an effort to extend the research, this study investigated the impact of virtual manipulatives,…

Face-to-face training for Extension volunteers is no longer the only viable delivery mode. In times of rapid technological advances, we are faced with a plethora of options for offering volunteers the training and support they need. Zoom, an online videoconferencing platform, can easily be used to engage volunteers in professional development.…

The research partnership among university faculty, information technology graduate students, and science content experts from school districts developed the Web-based two-dimensional and three-dimensional virtual reality science games. The games were implemented to engage middle school students in learning, retaining, and applying newly acquired…

Students who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) need additional support to learn curricular content and achieve academic outcomes. Students who attend rural schools may face greater challenges since they may have more limited access to services provided specially trained deaf educators. Yet, they need specialized instruction in learning how to use…

Aim/Purpose: This paper presented the framework for the integration of digital technologies in education, implemented in InTecEdu Program, developed by Remote Experimentation Laboratory (RExLab), Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brazil. Background: The main objective of the model presented is to arouse interest in science and…

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…

Are well-designed computer simulations an effective tool to support student understanding of complex concepts in chemistry when integrated into high school science classrooms? We investigated scaling up the use of a sequence of simulations of kinetic molecular theory and associated topics of diffusion, gas laws, and phase change, which we designed…

The impact of computer simulations on the performance of 65 grade 11 learners in electromagnetism in a South African high school in the Mpumalanga province is investigated. Learners did not use the simulations individually, but teachers used them as an interactive demonstration tool. Basic concepts in electromagnetism are difficult to understand…