Year 1 Findings from TeachLivE National Research Study Released

PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
University of Central Florida
TeachLivE Classroom Simulator National Research Study
Orlando, FL

The entire technical report of research findings for the TeachLivE National Research Study is available at http://teachlive.org/publications/.

Using Virtual Rehearsal in TLE TeachLivE™ Mixed Reality Classroom Simulator to Determine the Effects on the Performance of Mathematics Teachers

Abstract

A quasi-experimental, pre-post group design was used to examine the effects of repeated virtual rehearsal sessions in a mixed-reality computer simulated environment, the TLE TeachLivE™ classroom simulator. At 10 sites across the nation, 157 middle school mathematics teachers received four levels of innovative professional development, including computer simulation, synchronous online instruction, and lesson resources based on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Teachers were observed in the TLE TeachLivE™ (TeachLivE) classroom simulator and in their regular classrooms to determine the effects of treatment. Trained observers (a) collected pre-post frequency counts of teacher behavior on questioning, wait time, and feedback; (b) scored teacher classroom practice on modified sub- constructs of the Danielson Framework for Teaching; and (c) took qualitative field notes. Teachers responded to questionnaires covering demographic information and experiences in the classroom simulator. Student level data were collected pre-post on a 10-item academic assessment using items from the eighth grade 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress. From an analysis of the data, the researchers found that four 10-minute professional learning sessions in the TeachLivE classroom simulator improved targeted teaching behaviors in the simulator scenarios, and those improvements transferred into the teachers’ original classroom settings. Results from this study validate emerging research in the field of teacher education and simulation that suggests that professional learning in mixed-reality simulated classrooms can be effective in impacting teacher practice.

This research project was supported by funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.