Teacher preparation programs typically combine coursework, observation, classroom-based practice and feedback from peers, according to the U.S. Department of Education. But Cassandra Herring, CEO of BranchED, an ed-tech company that sells simulation-based training tools, said simulations can help bridge the gap between theory and classroom practice, offering a low-stakes environment for trial and error of different teaching methods.
“The teacher-prep field has been trying to solve for, ‘How do we link theory and practice?’” she said. “Simulation now comes forward as this opportunity for us to place candidates virtually, yes, but in an authentic, immersive environment where they can practice.”
The concept builds on earlier forms of rehearsal in teacher education. The effectiveness of roleplay exercises in professional development sessions can vary depending on how seriously participants take them and how realistically they respond, according to Holly Huynh, director of talent management at Bibb County School District in Georgia.
“You’re still kind of under the gun when you're dealing with [classroom scenarios] for the first time without any safety net,” Huynh said.
Additionally, rehearsal exercises may not allow for participants to pause or start over to take in live feedback.
“[Simulation] is a great way for somebody to be able to reflect in the moment,” Huynh said. “They’re able to catch things right then and there, whereas if they were doing it with their peers, in a traditional setting, their peers might not allow for that.”
HOW IT WORKS
Herring said the simulation platforms should not be confused with virtual reality that requires specialized equipment. BranchED’s platform, called AuthenTECH Practice (ATP), requires only an Internet connection. The simulations use large language models to replicate student behavior realistically.
“We train the model on appropriate middle-school vocabulary, or what are the common misconceptions that students will have when they're engaging in the kind of content that the simulation involves,” Herring said. “We are trying to get the [generative AI] GenAI to replicate error, not just to give the answer.”
Herring said generative AI has a tendency to correct itself, so this requires vigilance on the side of the simulation creators.
The platform supports multiple avatars interacting with the teacher and each other. Scenarios range from classroom lessons, like reading circles and computational math lessons, to adult-to-adult interactions, like parent-teacher conferences. Teachers can repeat scenarios with variations, allowing them to refine their decision-making. One study from 2019 found 10 minutes of training in a simulation moved teachers from feeling not at all confident to very confident.
Huynh said in addition to the confidence factor, evidence-based simulations provide course corrections so teachers don’t develop bad habits. The same 2019 study found teachers who participated in simulation training were better prepared for classroom situations they practiced.
“You can practice something incorrectly and get really good at doing something incorrectly, right? Because you don’t know that you’re doing it incorrectly,” Huynh said.
In Bibb County, about a dozen teachers with no prior education degrees participated. They received additional training through ATP alongside the district’s standard professional learning sessions.
“From day one to now, just leaps and bounds, how much they've grown and how much more confident they are,” Huynh said.
Currently ATP offers live facilitation of simulation training sessions with representatives from BranchED. In the future, Herring said she sees this live facilitation being phased out, allowing instructors to train on their own time. She also sees potential applications for school and district leadership.
“We think the opportunity to give teachers an authentic system where they can practice the next day’s lesson in the privacy of their home, get feedback so that they can improve, feel more confident, and be ready when they’re in front of live children is a powerful accelerator for our field,” she said.
