Pedagogical Practices Associated With Sophisticated Pedagogical Scenarios Using VR Simulations in Science Courses

Abstract

In the context of the documented decline of student interest in science, ascribed to a high level of concept abstraction, the sheer quantity of science concepts and teacher-centred teaching approaches, we tested the potential of desktop VR (DVR) simulations to engage students. The literature shows that the activities and support built around the simulations themselves are of utmost importance. In this design-based research involving 39 faculty and 5, 780 students, the research team and the pedagogical team accompanied teachers in their development of pedagogical scenarios, with tools derived from the NRF/Jeffries (2022) model in nursing simulations. Scenarios were documented through individual teacher interviews. A multilevel regression analysis to predict the students' behavioural engagement showed that the scenario score, associated with high-quality scenarios, is the single and most important level-2 variable associated with the teachers. Pedagogical practices associated with high-scores scenarios were analysed and compared to those associated with low-scores for the prebriefing, briefing, simulation and debriefing phases. Sophisticated scenarios are characterized by more activities in the briefing and debriefing phases, as well as by collaborative activities.