The idea behind the VIRTUOUS project was to create a behaviour management technique curriculum that teachers (and student teachers) could learn to utilize in their classrooms when dealing with students’ inappropriate/challenging/disruptive behaviours.
The first step in this direction was to compile a literature review and also ask teachers in four countries (Italy, Austria, Greece, Cyprus) their knowledge and opinions about what constitutes disruptive behaviour and their use of various behaviour management techniques to deal with such behaviour. This step is summarized in Intellectual Output 1 (EN, IT, DE, EL).
The second step was to create a curriculum (the VIRTUOUS curriculum) which proposes several promising behaviour management techniques for teachers to use in their classrooms. This step is documented in Intellectual Output 2 (please refer to the page Curriculum of this site).
Following (in step no. 3) a series of teaching scenarios were created. These scenarios depicted instances of inappropriate and disruptive in-classroom behaviours exhibited by the students. Teachers have to ask the proper questions, suggest the proper solutions, give the right instructions in order to correct this behaviour. This step is documented in Intellectual Output 3 (EN, IT, DE, EL).
The next step (Intellectual Output 4) in the VIRTUOUS project was to create the VR environment (a typical classroom with student-avatars) and realize the scenarios that came out of IO3. The VR application uses the Occulus 2 VR headset and an application created by the VR partners. Please see more in the VLE page on this site.
The next step (Intellectual Output 5) was to implement a pilot training program and to bring together 5 students and 5 teachers who would be trained in the use of the VLE as well as the use of the behaviour management techniques. During the training program, trainees were introduced to both the curriculum (the behavior management techniques) and the VR application, which allowed them to immerse themselves in a virtual environment and try the VR scenarios.
The final step (Intellectual Output 6) was to bring everything together in Best Practices Manual that could be of use to future/potential users of the VIRTUOUS curriculum, the VR application, the scenarios. You will find more information about IO5 and IO6 in the Best Practices page on this site.
Finally, let us remember the original objectives of the VIRTUOUS project:
- OBJ1 – Identify the most promising behaviour management techniques from a literature survey and a teacher survey
- OBJ2 – Develop a curriculum for training purposes based on the behaviour management techniques identified.
- OBJ3 – Develop a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with a range of student characters (avatars) for training purposes
- OBJ4 – Prepare teachers to use the VLE, interact with student avatars and have the opportunity to acquire behaviour management skills.
- OBJ5 – Evaluate the training program and identify the most promising elements that may be emulated in future projects.
- OBJ6 – Write a Best Practice Manual where we describe how to set up a VR based training program.
