Implementing a 3D Virtual Classroom Simulation for Teachers’ Continuing Professional Development

Abstract

3D Virtual Worlds (VWs) are becoming important for education as they provide realistic three-dimensional environments, offer engaging, interactive and immersive experiences, and create new opportunities related to learning and teaching. To this end, it is useful for school teachers to understand these environments and explore their possibilities in enhancing their educational practices. However, in order to achieve this using 3D VWs, teachers should acquire competences that would enable them design and deliver educational activities in the context of 3D VWs, as part of their Continuing Professional Development. To this end, in this paper we present the design and the implementation of a 3D Virtual Classroom Simulation that takes into consideration the instructional strategy of Synectics.