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ENHANCING VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH SYNTHETIC LEARNING EXPERIENCES: IMPLEMENTING VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS INTO CLASSROOMS
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TitleENHANCING VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH SYNTHETIC LEARNING EXPERIENCES: IMPLEMENTING VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS INTO CLASSROOMS
AuthorSanchez, Alicia
KeywordsSynthetic Learning
virtual
experiences
vocabulary
AbstractA Synthetic Learning Environment (SLE) the Virtual Field Trip (VFT) was designed to increase vocabulary acquisition and knowledge by utilizing simulation based technologies and leveraging sound educational findings. Vocabulary acquisition is considered a prerequisite to becoming a good reader and therefore a critical predictor of academic and lifelong success for early learners, however, teachers report that students lack the real world knowledge required for vocabulary knowledge. The VFT provides a meaningful context for anchored and situated instruction. Second grade students were assigned to either use the VFT or to listen to stories read aloud by a researcher on a video tape. While results did not indicate significant vocabulary acquisition on a series of 3 vocabulary tests; students who used the VFT did use significantly more words in a post exposure writing sample than students in the story group indicating an increase of words known at a level of depth sufficient to warrant their use in a writing sample. Students who used the VFT also reported increased motivation to use SLEs like the VFT for future learning objectives and that VFTs were fun. Findings related to the self-efficacy of students as measures immediately following each vocabulary test did not reveal a significant increase for VFT users. Students using the VFTs did not report learning more words than those students assigned to the story group. Limitations of the current study and directions for future research are discussed.
AdviserCannon-Bowers, Jan
PublisherUniversity of Central Florida
DegreePh.D.
Degree DisciplineOther
Degree GrantorSciences
Degree ProgramModeling and Simulation
Graduation Date2006-12-01
TypeDoctoral dissertation
Access LevelPublic - Allow Worldwide Access
Release Date2007-01-11
RepositoryUniversity Archives
Repository CollectionElectronic Theses and Dissertations
IdentifierCFE0001419
Access Linkhttp://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0001419

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