The Virtual Classroom Simulated Pre-service project, an innovative teaching initiative from the School of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences & Leisure Management, Taylor's University, recently garnered recognition by winning two international awards at the International Innovation Competition on Languages, Education & Societies (IINNCOME 2024) organized by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Perlis, Malaysia. The competition, held virtually, required participants to submit videos showcasing their teaching innovations, with winners announced during an online award ceremony.
This event involved four categories of participant - Professionals, Teachers/Academicians, Higher Education Students and Secondary School Students. The purpose of this competition was to provide a platform for educators and students to showcase their teaching innovation in new directions in language pedagogy and technology integration in language teaching and learning. The School of Education secured two awards, a Gold award in the Academicians category and a Silver award in the Higher Education Students category.
The Gold award-winning project, titled "Development of a Certification Course for Pre-Service Teachers Using EngageVR," was led by Dr. Thivilojana Perinpasingam, with significant contributions from Dr. Tan Shin Yen, Mr. Faisal Athar Mohd Fadzil and international collaborators Associate Professor Dr. Suanne Gibson from the Plymouth Institute of Education at the University of Plymouth, and Mr. Maxwell McGee from EngageXR in the United Kingdom.
In contrast, the student-led team received a Silver medal for their project titled "Utilizing EngageVR for Immersive Learning Among Future Educators to Foster Scenario-Based Learning." The team members, Selyne Lee Suet Fun, Nazira Mohd Akhmal, Sandra Ng Wai Kim, and Tan Jun Ting from Bachelor of Education (Hons) programme, developed a Virtual Reality (VR) project that simulates real-world classrooms to provide Pre-Service Teachers with practical skills and confidence through an immersive learning experience.
These accolades at the IINNCOME 2024 underscored Taylor's University's commitment to advancing educational technology and innovative teaching practices. These recognitions not only celebrated the remarkable efforts of the individuals involved but also position Taylor’s University at the forefront of educational innovation, setting a benchmark for excellence in the integration of technology in teaching and learning.
