Engaging Early Learners in a VUCA World.

Abstract

The Kindergarten cohort at Knox Grammar Preparatory School have been discovering and inquiring about the world around them through purposeful play and research. After consolidating new knowledge through a hands-on approach to learning, they have transitioned their inquiry learning process into an interactive virtual environment through the use of several platforms including CoSpaces, Minecraft and FrameVR. Through a differentiated approach to learning, we have been able to explicitly model critical and creative thinking, by providing new and exciting means to enhance student reasoning and communication skills. Increasing the level of positive ICT engagement through an immersive virtual learning experience, has engaged Knox community members from around the world and allowed families to reflect on the learning process each student undertakes. Kindergarten students have taken a step into the metaverse through the uploading of inquiry research tasks consisting of hand drawn posters, oral presentations, video recordings, artworks, construction projects and coding to a collaborative FrameVR environment thus providing them with the opportunity to demonstrate their multifaceted learning process on one platform. Virtual learning environments are shared with the parent community to demonstrate the process of learning throughout each unit of inquiry.