Student teachers learn with avatars at Swinburne Online

Student teacher Natalie Santucci is doing a prac in front of a class of kids. But none of the children exist. They’re avatars.

Student teacher Natalie Santucci gets some practical classroom experience with her avatar pupils via Swinburne Online. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

In the virtual classroom of 10-year-olds, “Carlos” is outgoing, “Emily” is shy and the three others in the group also have distinct personalities.

For Swinburne Online’s education students juggling a small group of “kids” while introducing them to the water cycle in a 10-minute teaching block has provided welcome experience at a time when real schools have had to cancel or delay the all-important pracs they need to progress in or complete their degrees.

Natalie Santucci, who is most of the way through her masters in primary education, leapt at the chance when her scheduled placement at a local school in Melbourne’s Noble Park was delayed until term four. She prepped her lesson — she could have chosen anything, but stuck with the water cycle — uploaded the link and gave it a go.

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“It gave me the opportunity to be in front of a classroom again, to practise my skills in research, in planning and organising,” Mrs Santucci said. “The main goal was to build my confidence in front of a classroom, but also classroom and behaviour management.”

Importantly, she was also able to include the feedback on her performance as part of her assessment portfolio.

Swinburne Online had been working on the virtual classroom offering for some time, and trialled it last year. Using software developed by Mursion, which provides the avatars of the five children, together with a short video of them interacting, student teachers can glean their personalities and interests.

When they click on the link, an avatar host called Bennett appears, explains how the session will work and completes a sound and vision check. When the lesson begins, the classroom appears on the computer screen with the five students seated along a table facing the screen, with a small box at the top right where the student teacher can also be seen.

But here is the trick: simulation specialists who work for Swinburne bring to life the virtual students, using voice-altering technology, switching between them as the lesson proceeds and responding to the teacher’s questions, as well as dishing up ­occasional distracted or disruptive behaviour.

“It’s improv,” says Shannon Montey, whose acting background made her a good fit for the job, which involves playing all five characters at the same time, using controls to move their bodies, including their heads and their lips when they speak.

“You have to be quick on your feet, you’ve got to bounce between characters and they have to change — each has their individual likes and dislikes and vocal tics — keeping a good balance between them interacting in real time to whatever the teacher’s presenting.”

Swinburne Online program director, education, Rhonni Sasaki says the technology was trialled last year and initially offered to final-year students; however, it was immediately offered across the board when the coronavirus crisis closed down schools. About 100 students completed a simulation in April and 60 are booked for May.

“One of the reasons for using it was that Swinburne Online has a national footprint and a dispersed cohort — so students are across regional and rural areas, which can mean more limited access to placement for our students,” Ms Sasaki says.

“And they don’t have as many opportunities for diverse placements as their metro counterparts.”

Coronavirus enlarged the need for the service, but the goal is the same. “It provides additional opportunities to practise teacher skills to support confidence and ultimately their success when they do go on placement.”

Bookings are tight, but Mrs Santucci is hoping to have another chance to practise on the kids before her placement towards the end of the year. “It could never be the same as a normal classroom,” she concedes. “But at the same time, it gives you an opportunity to be in front of kids, and it is like a small focus group, which actually does happen in a normal classroom.”