It’s Not the Tool, It’s the Teacher: How TPCK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) Shapes the Implementation of Virtual Reality

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 4:55 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Teaching and Learning With Virtual Reality (Table 30)

Abstract

The adoption of modern educational technology was limited by how well EdTech tools align with a teacher's pedagogical goals for science teaching. Research on virtual reality in K-12 suggests VR has the potential to promote effective learning and promote greater engagement. Using the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) theory, we explored how different pedagogical uses of virtual reality produced different outcomes. This qualitative analysis of 45 virtual reality videos created by 9th grade Biology students revealed how individual, small group, and large group pedagogical approaches to using VR altered how students interacted with scientific ideas. The results of this study provide insights into how edtech tools achieve different goals based on teachers' pedagogical decisions.

Authors

• Bryan A. Brown, Stanford University

• Kendra Sobomehin, Stanford University

• Tamara N. Sobomehin, Stanford University