University Center of Greenville Brings TeachME™ Simulator to SimHub™
April 12, 2011
University of Central Florida simulation and training partnership to evolve teacher training
GREENVILLE, SC – April 12, 2011 – The University Center of Greenville(UCG) proudly announces the TeachMe™ simulator, the newest addition toits innovative immersive technology center SimHub™. UCG’s partner institutions, like Clemson University and the University of South Carolina Upstate, offer a variety of undergraduate and graduate teacher education degrees onsite at UCG. Now the Greenville-based students and faculty will have access to the TeachME™ simulator and the opportunity to customize their pre-service learning experience in a controlled environment.
The TeachME™ (Teaching in Mixed-reality Environments) simulator was developed out of the University of Central Florida (UCF)’s Institute for Simulation and Training and its SREAL research lab. The immersive technology tool provides a unique method of teacher training in an environment which does not put actual children at risk while allowing teachers to hone their skills.
Dr. Steve Bronack, Founder & Director of SimHub™, said, “TeachMETM has the potential to impact important teacher development and quality issues in significant ways. Accentuating traditional training approaches with simulated ones can improve the learning experience for students. Providing a realistic classroom and student behavior experience through which students develop management and problem resolution skills offers new opportunities for teacher educators to develop sophisticated and focused instruction, as well.”
Julie McGaha, Clinical Instructor in Clemson University’s Master in Teaching – Middle Grades, adds, “[TeachMe] is nothing short of fantastic. It really has the potential to change the way we educate teachers.” The simulator features five realistic-looking student avatars seated at desks in two rows. The simulation team at UCF can customize the look of the students to reflect varied classroom demographics, offering developing teachers genuine and broad opportunities for experience.
Lisa Dieker, UCF professor and Exceptional Education Ph.D. Program Coordinator, said, “The University of Central Florida created the TeachME™ simulator to strengthen teacher education for our own university programs and across the country. We are excited to partner with the University Center of Greenville as our first multi-institution partnership – creating the opportunity to impact a large teacher education population. We also look forward to entering into additional program development partnerships with UCG member universities.”
For more information about the SimHub™ immersive technology center, visit www.simhub.org. For more information about UCF’s simulation lab, visit http://sreal.ucf.edu.
About University Center of Greenville
The University Center of Greenville, Inc. is a coalition of university and community leaders dedicated to increasing access to educational opportunities for the Greater Greenville area. The center offers more than 75 undergraduate and graduate degrees through eight institution partners: Clemson, Furman, Lander, Greenville Tech, Medical University of South Carolina, South Carolina State, University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina Upstate. It offers state-of-the-art technologies and diverse delivery systems, including day, evening, weekend, and distance classes, for both traditional and adult students. Bringing together public and private sector leaders and higher education institutions positions UCG to meet the education and talent needs of its citizens, and help drive Greenville’s competitiveness. For more information, please call 864.250.1111 or visit www.ucgreenville.org.
