SIMAULA: a needs-based model of virtual practicum for future teachers

In the current paper the authors present an authored project, which aims to construct a model for a virtual simulation practicum for teachers’ in-training. The project is based on in-depth qualitative research of users’ needs and on a detailed analysis of the potentials of most recent social simulation technologies to support learning. The development of the presented simulation model involves the efforts of an practicing studentational team of professionals in the field of ICT in education who collaborate in the context of SimAULA Tomorrow’s Teachers Training Project. There were three stages in the process of the virtual simulation practicum design and development. During the first stage, an ethnographic study was conducted in order to reveal the views and needs of the stakeholders as well as a literature review. In the second stage, the team focused on the development of the specific technical parameters of the simulative game development. Finally, the third stage of the project involved elaboration of the conceptual framework and pedagogical design of the virtual practicum and methodology of its evaluation.