Introduction to Innovative Teacher Training
USU’s Casey Clay is a component of a research team that has been awarded a $2 million grant to make use of virtual reality simulations for training teachers on how one can handle difficult student behaviors. This four-year project goals to equip future teachers with the needed skills to evaluate and supply interventions for college kids who exhibit behaviors resembling aggression, anxiety, and obstinacy within the classroom.
The Need for Effective Teacher Training
Clay, an assistant professor within the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, notes that there may be a rise in difficult behaviors in schools. Typically, teachers are thrown into the classroom with little experience in handling such behaviors. The project seeks to vary this by utilizing virtual reality to organize teachers before they begin teaching.
Project Overview
The project is a multi-site collaboration involving researchers from Vanderbilt University, the University of Virginia, and Mississippi State University. The $2 million grant was awarded by the Institute of Education Sciences, which is a component of the U.S. Department of Education. Tom Higbee, department head of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling at USU, emphasizes the critical need for this training, stating that teachers and college administrators often report needing additional support for college kids with significant behavior problems.
Training Methodology
The training will consist of seven scenarios in virtual reality, supplemented by web-based tutorials. Participants will probably be pre-service teachers recruited from their respective universities. The goal is to coach these participants to be fluent within the assessment and intervention process, enabling them to deliver the best prompts to assist students communicate in potentially stressful situations.
Implementation and Expected Outcomes
Clay envisions scenarios in various settings, including classrooms, playgrounds, and lunchrooms, with students of various ages exhibiting a spread of difficult behaviors. The simulations will incorporate "multiple exemplar training," an idea in behavior science that trains pre-service teachers to generalize exhibited behavior and adapt it to any situation or setting. The project will probably be rolled out over 4 years, with the primary yr specializing in developing the scenarios and conducting focus groups. The subsequent years will involve pilot projects and larger-scale studies to check the effectiveness of the training.
Conclusion
The use of virtual reality simulations to coach teachers is an modern approach that could lead on to raised outcomes for college kids. By preparing teachers to handle difficult behaviors effectively, the project goals to enhance the educational environment and support students’ emotional and academic development. The potential advantages of this training extend beyond teachers to oldsters and caregivers, highlighting the project’s significance in addressing a critical need in education. Ultimately, the goal is to have better-prepared teachers who can provide the needed support to students, resulting in improved outcomes for youths.
