Leveraging Immersive Virtual Reality in a Preservice Teacher Training Program by Creating a Community of Practice

• In Event: Teaching and Learning With Extended Reality

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) research has seen substantial growth in recent years. Despite numerous studies investigating the affordances and challenges of VR, empirical studies researching the integration of VR in language teacher training programs remain limited. The present study offers a potentially productive direction for teacher training by adopting a Community of Practice (CoP) approach. Six preservice teachers formed a CoP, in which they learned and used VR for language teaching. Members of the CoP co-constructed a common repertoire of knowledge, skills, and practice. Class recordings, emails, and interview data were collected. Analysis based on classroom discourse analysis and thematic analysis revealed the benefits of the CoP approach in both technology learning and language teaching, informing VR integration in teacher training.

Authors

• Di Liu, Temple University

• Hyangeun Ji, University of North Texas