Creating Relevant Extended Reality Field Clinical Experiences for Teacher Candidates in the COVID Era

Abstract

Creating authentic and relevant field clinical experiences for teacher candidates is an essential foundational component of an effective educator preparation program (EPP). It is through these classroom interactions that teacher candidates gain meaningful insight into the day-to-day processes that accompany Once remote instruction began due to COVID, field clinical and internship placements were immediately suspended leaving faculty in EPPs having to turn to virtual alternatives to complete course hours and key assignment requirements. These changes included the introduction of virtual learning modalities and venues such as tutorials, webinars, and even faculty and alumni-generated online learning series to compensate for the lack of contact hours. This work explores how the virtual-focused clinical experiences were conceptualized in addition to a qualitative analysis of teacher candidate self-efficacy as well as academic performance evaluated using a specially designed metric-based rubric emphasizing the transition from face-to-face to the virtual venue of clinical practice.