Ready, Teacher One

This study examines how French First-language teachers responded to virtual reality (VR) professional development in 2021 in the province of Ontario. The teachers used higher-end VR Oculus Quest 2 systems in a digital, polysynchronous, collaborative, virtual learning environment during eight fully-immersive teacher professional development sessions. The overall research by design model allowed the researcher and the teacher participants to address one of many gaps in the research on VR by investigating how three areas intersect: (1) teacher professional development, (2) immersive technologies, and (3) pedagogical design. The findings of this study suggest that teachers can interact in VR and collaboratively design immersive learning spaces to increase student engagement but that teachers require time and support to identify the pedagogical applications of VR spaces. Teachers working in VR can reduce physical distance and increase both collaboration and presence; this transforms the professional development experience beyond what was traditionally thought possible.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2021

Author dc:creator

• Girard, Joannie

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Robertson, Lorayne

• Virtual reality (VR)
• Head-mounted display (HMD)
• Degrees of freedom (DoF)
• Immersion
• Presence

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10155/1365

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/1365