Content area
Teacher education faces persistent challenges, including limited access to authentic field experiences and a disconnect between theoretical instruction and classroom practice. While virtual reality (VR) simulations offer an alternative, most are constrained by inflexible design and lack scalability, failing to mirror the complexity of real teaching environments. This study introduces TeacherGen@i, a generative AI (GenAI)-enhanced VR simulation designed to provide pre-service teachers with immersive, adaptive teaching practice through realistic GenAI agents. Using an explanatory case study with a mixed-methods approach, the study examines the simulation’s usability, design challenges, and instructional utility within a university-based teacher preparation course. Data sources included usability surveys and reflective journals, analyzed through thematic coding and computational linguistic analysis using LIWC. Findings suggest that TeacherGen@i facilitates meaningful development of teaching competencies such as instructional decision-making, classroom communication, and student engagement, while also identifying notable design limitations related to cognitive load, user interface design, and instructional scaffolding. This exploratory research offers preliminary insights into the integration of generative AI in teacher simulations and its potential to support responsive and scalable simulation-based learning environments.
Details
Authentic Learning;
Literature Reviews;
Instructional Innovation;
Experiential Learning;
Influence of Technology;
Educational Methods;
Educational Innovation;
Educational Technology;
Mixed Methods Research;
Inplant Programs;
Case Studies;
Decision Making;
Classroom Techniques;
Feedback (Response);
Field Experience Programs;
Instructional Design;
Information Transfer;
Artificial Intelligence;
Emotional Response;
Affordances;
Cognitive Ability;
Learner Engagement;
Educational Strategies;
Educational Principles
Pedagogy;
Usability;
Instructional design;
Teacher education;
Cognitive load;
Feedback;
Preservice teachers;
Virtual reality;
Generative artificial intelligence;
Case studies;
Innovations;
Simulation;
Classrooms;
Multimedia;
Decision making;
Learning;
Mixed methods research;
Quantitative analysis;
Qualitative research
; Moon Jewoong 2
; Eom Taeyeon 1 ; Awoyemi, Idowu David 2
; Hwang Juno 3
1 Department of Education, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; [email protected] (S.H.); [email protected] (T.E.)
2 Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Technology Studies, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, USA; [email protected]
3 Department of Physics Education, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; [email protected]