Overview

Serious challenges exist for the integration of technology into the primary and secondary (K­-12) classroom. The students who utilize technology in the classroom are now more diverse than ever before. There were more English language learners (ELL) in school year 2012­-13 (9.2 percent) than in the previous ten years. From fall 2002 through fall 2012, the number of students receiving special education services in the United States under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has increased 13 percent, with the highest increase in the area of specific learning disabilities.

Specific learning disabilities are defined as a psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written (U.S. Department of Education, 2014). Clearly the need for differentiating, or meeting the needs of all learners, is a priority in classrooms today. The research on how teachers define and enact differentiation has been extensive in face­ to ­face classrooms (Archambault, et al, 1993; Westberg & Daoust, 2003).

In a differentiated classroom, teachers are guided by principles that include providing high quality curriculum, utilizing flexible grouping, and administering ongoing assessments within a classroom community that honors respectful and challenging tasks for all learners (Tomlinson, 2001; 2005). It is through the use of these principles that teachers respond to learner readiness, interest, and learning profile by accessing a variety of instructional strategies designed to meet the needs of all learners. Additionally, teachers in primary and secondary classrooms need to embrace best practices for classroom management in order to help students learn. This can mean many things, but specifically it involves embracing effective means of screening for at ­risk children and applying just ­in ­time therapeutic interventions for children who cause disruptions in the classroom.

Within the contexts of the current primary schooling (i.e. K­-12) landscape, Immersive Learning opportunities are trending up the “Slope of Enlightenment”. Virtual Worlds, Video Games, and Augmented Reality experiences specifically designed for learners within the formal school systems ­or as extra­curricular experiences tailored to improve student performance within these systems are on the rise. A plethora of devices and software applications created for students are currently being developed and offered to students. Some obviously better than others.

Unfortunately, although much research has been accomplished using immersive technologies in the primary and secondary classroom, it often has not fully considered the specific problems and opportunities related to the differentiation of instruction and classroom management. The purpose of this RFP is to address this topic through current, relevant, and situated immersive learning research in the primary and secondary classroom. For this special track of the iLRN conference, the editor is seeking submissions that address this need.

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List of Topics

Suggested topics include—but are not limited to:

- Address Growing Educational Interest in Game-Based and Immersive Learning.
- Technologies suggested are: Desktop virtual world environments, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), simulations, video games, neurogaming, immersive caves and domes, 3D printing, robotics, and more.
- Use of immersive technologies to collect data for formative assessment in the classroom.
- Use of Serious games to improve various aspects of learning.
- Identify, improve, and scale sustainable, collaborative Immersive Learning solutions that improve student success.
- Motivational and Engagement Aspects of Immersive Learning For Improving Students’ Persistence, Retention and Completion.
- Immersive learning solutions for classroom management difficulties.
- Differentiation of instruction through the use of immersive learning.
- Immersive learning in alternative and informal learning environments.
- Immersive, collections­based experiences using digital records and associated video and web assets to help learners create and share their own digital collections.
- Ethical choices and frameworks for teachers’ decisions to use immersive learning in the classroom.
- Exploration of specific immersive affordances (e.g. perspective taking, eye tracking, simulations, role play, etc.) in specific content areas and levels (e.g. primary, secondary).

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Author Info

All accepted full papers will be published in Springer’s C​CIS conference proceedings series.​

The submitted papers must not exceed 4-6 pages (short paper) or 10-12 pages (full paper). Contributions are welcome on work-in-progress, research results, technical development, and best practices. Research, development, and best practices contributions will be accepted according to their quality and relevance either as full or short papers. Work-in-progress will only be accepted as short papers.

Submitted papers must follow the same guidelines as the main conference submissions. Please visit http://immersivelrn.org/ilrn2016/author-info/ for guidelines and templates.

For submitting a paper to this special track, please use the submission system https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ilrn2016 , log in with an account or register, and select the track “Special Track 1: K12 and School Tech” to add your submission.

Do not send manuscripts to the Chair. The manuscripts must go through a double blind review process. Note: Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project. Authors are encouraged to contact the Editor to propose an idea for submission to ensure the appropriateness of the proposed study for this venue.

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Special Track Chair

Dr. Dennis Beck – AECT Division of School Media and Technology, USA

Program Committee (To be announced)