Virtual Gaming Simulation (VGS) in Teacher Education: Fostering Counseling Competencies in Preservice Teachers

This report provides an example implementation of a virtual gaming simulation (VGS) in counseling seminars in teacher education as a tool for learning psychological conversation skills. The theory-practice seminar "Counseling language learners" in a blended learning environment includes the teaching of counseling competencies, followed by actual online counseling sessions with school students. As a further approximation of practice, before gathering their first experience as counselors, preservice teachers play through a virtual simulation of a counseling session in which they can interactively control the counselor's behavior by choosing from a pool of alternatives. In this way, users learn inductively about the functionality of conversational techniques, and begin to anticipate the consequences of their actions. An evaluative study explores the benefits perceived by preservice teachers of the present VGS application. Results indicate high levels of usability and utility of the VGS as well as an aroused situational and topic interest through the task. Confirmatory evaluations are still required.