Wednesday, March 15
4:15 PM-5:15 PM
CDT
Grand Ballroom C & D

Mitigating Racism/Sexism within Mixed-Reality Teacher Training Simulations

Roundtable (F2F) ID: 61739
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    Erin Anderson
    Georgia State University

Abstract: Mixed-reality (MR) teaching simulations, like Mursion Inc™ and TeachLivE™, are becoming a regular part of pre-service teacher training programs. They employ a human-in-the-loop, known as an interactor, to perform as avatars of various ages, ethnicities, and genders during the simulation. Recently, there have been accusations of digital blackface in the media leading to calls for the cessation of the technology. Furthermore, researchers have warned against the possibility of the accidental perpetuation of stereotypes through the use of this technology. This roundtable will discuss the implications of racism/sexism when using MR simulations and brainstorm possible guidelines to mitigate harm.

Objectives

Goal: I would like to give time to a collective reflection on this topic with the goal of • Promoting a discussion on the equitable implications of MR teaching simulations' use of a single interactor to portray avatars of varying ethnicities, genders, and neurodivergence • Discussing ways to mitigate the possible perpetuation of bias/sexism via MR teaching simulations • Gathering participants’ contributions to begin developing guidelines for SMEs, technology creators, and interactors to use when developing simulation scenarios

Topical Outline

Introductory Questions: How can subject matter experts (SMEs) who use these MR simulations design scenarios and train interactors to mitigate the use of racial or sexist stereotypes? What training/guidelines should SMEs / technology developers give to interactors to mitigate racist or sexist stereotypes? How do the allegations of blackface in MR teaching simulations compare/differ from the claims(?) waged in the media and gaming industry when producers use a person of one ethnicity to portray another? Materials: -Personal Macbook Pro -Welcome to Mursion Video -PPT Presentation -Padlet for participants to jot suggestions -Audio Recorder (digital) How to Engage Participants in Discussion: 2 minute: Welcome – names and brief introductions, invited to explain interest in the workshop. 7 minute Presentation with video 30 minute discussion of questions 5 minute Padlet notes for suggestions 5 minute synthesis by presenter

Prerequisites

NA

Experience Level

Beginner

Qualifications

Erin Anderson is an Instructional Technology doctoral student at Georgia State University where she researches the use of digital simulations in teacher preparation. She currently works at the Interactive Teaching and Learning Lab at Georgia State, where she develops mixed-reality simulations for Georgia State educators. She’s also helping facilitate the rollout of Project Social Code, a collaborative project between the University of Central Florida, North Carolina University, and Georgia State, which uses robots to train students with Autism in social skills. Furthermore, she works on a team analyzing the application of computer science principles across the state of Georgia. She's interested in the intersection of critical theory, technology, and teacher preparation.

Presider: Erin Anderson, Georgia State University

Topics

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