Virtuelle Realitäten zur Kompetenzentwicklung und Reflexion in der universitären Lehrkräftebildung am Beispiel von Elterngesprächen

Knowledge does not necessarily equate skill. Students and graduates may know
a lot about teaching in theory, but at the same time have few practical skills and
abilities in this area. Their knowledge does not necessarily go hand-in-hand with
the competence to analyze situations appropriately, to select alternative courses
of action thoughtfully, to make an appropriate decision on how to act, and to
finally evaluate and reflect on their behavior. In short, I may know a lot about
teaching, while still not being able to teach effectively. However, in order to
build a networked knowledge base that prepares students for future professional
requirements, knowledge and skills cannot be separated categorically. Inter-
related learning goals should instead be effectively addressed didactically and
methodically in the context of university teaching to better link theory and prac-
tice. Accordingly, courses should create opportunities for action that, in addition
to purely theoretical situation analysis, also enable elaborate cognitive processes
and practical experiences that are as authentic as possible. This is where virtual
reality (VR) comes into play and creates numerous new possibilities for univer-
sity teacher training. This paper uses a specific application as an example—that
is, VR-based parent interviews—to highlight the potentials and difficulties of VR
applications in university teaching. We examine the feasibility and scalability of
such applications, and discuss initial findings from the evaluation of such a VR
training. Finally, we discuss further research approaches as well as next steps for
the long-term implementation of VR in university teacher education