Applying synchronous methods during the development of an online classroom-based simulation

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to report the impact of an online simulation that was designed to provide pre-service teachers with experience in dealing with complex classroom situations associated with the teaching of literacy. Design/methodology/approach - A developmental approach to the research was used. This is also known as "design research" "design experiment" or "formative research" and involved four phases: analysis of the practical problem; development of solutions within a theoretical framework; evaluation and testing of solutions; documentation and reflection to produce "design principles". Findings - Trials were conducted with five iterations of this software. The findings reveal that the online simulation provides pre-service teachers with time to think critically about complex classroom situations which rely on the teacher's ability to respond to children's experiences, engage with them in meaningful dialogue and negotiation as well as utilise a range of indirect instructions such as questioning, modelling and prompting. Research limitations/implications - At this stage of the research the authors are confident that the design principles operationalised, combined with access to a large pool of authentic data, helped to design a simulation that contributed to the development of pre-service teacher understanding of the complex work of teachers. Originality/value - Reports the impact of an online classroom simulation.