universities using Mursion

The Robertson Center for Intercultural Leadership at UC-Berkeley works with Mursion to create simulations in intercultural leadership. It's used regularly in the center's Global Leadership in the 21st Century class in a section on Managing Conflict.

Contact: Miranda Loos

This private university in Indianapolis uses Mursion simulated role playing in its College of Education, mostly in lower-division classes. Faculty also use it for performance evaluation/formative assessment.

"Candidates hate it at first because they are so nervous in front of it and it can feel uncomfortable at first. Then they warm up to it and appreciate the practice. When they get to about junior year they are done with it and just want the real kids."

Contact: Allison Segarra Hansen

Towson University in Maryland uses simulated role playing in teacher education. It is used starting at Level 1. It has a sim specialist on staff, who works with faculty to create simulations. Users at Towson recommend that programs thinking about using this platform think about how the professor is coaching through the simulation, do teaching rehearsals regularly and pause to stop and discuss what to do next. Towson has a specialist in adult learning to provide feedback on simulations.

Contact: Laila Richman

The University of Wyoming's College of Education set out to become a premiere teacher education program in the nation and set aside initiatives for innovation. So far other departments have not showed great interest. It has started partnering with K-12 schools in the area and to recruit students to the program.

Contact: Leslie Rush

Harvard University uses simulated role playing in teacher education, at both the elementary and secondary levels. Each student in two classes--Teaching Fellow and the Art of Teaching--has to go through a simulation three times The university also has started experimenting with the platform in medical school and law school.

"Students are very excited about how their behavior has changed. Example: Students gave instructions for a lesson. After multiple attempts, were able to see how to give directions in smaller chunks and get better reactions. They are more tuned in to participants' reactions. They like debriefing with actors about whether they overreact or are too easy."

Contact: Nicole Nash

The University of West Georgia uses the platform in teacher education, speech pathology and counseling departments to train teachers, to prepare students for individual educational plan meetings, to work on unconscious bias, and to practice mini lessons with content and vocabulary words. Students also practice parent-teacher conferences.

"Not everyone is on board and some feel forced to try it. Someone needs to work closely with faculty to model it for them, not just explain it. We've had very positive feedback from teachers who do coaching and have good debriefing sessions in-between each Mursion use. It's important to engage in processing the simulation. Some faculty don’t know how to coach and model."

Contact: Terrie Ponde

Bowling Green State University uses Mursion in the College of Education, but has had some interest from business and health and human services.

"When I talk to people across the university they are interested but get even more interested as they engage with Mursion. People see how you can shape Interpersonal skills through this technology."

"Important to have an expert in the content think through what are all the hits and misses, so the specialist does not have to do a bunch of improv."

Contact: Matt Lavery

The Curry School of Education and Human Development has 32 custom simulations that target essential teaching skills, which included establishing rapport at a family conference, giving high quality feedback, and initiating challenging conversations with students.

"During most sessions students have the opportunity to try the same simulation multiple times or to receive feedback on the session from professors, trained coaches, or their peers."

Contact: Julie Cohen

Southeastern Louisiana University uses Mursion for teacher education, specifically in lesson planning and methods and to practice parent-teacher conferences. The software is used to remediate teacher candidates who need extra help, and Southeastern Louisiana University is exploring its use in social work and nursing.

"Students are nervous at first but quickly enjoy the fact that the rehearsal is happening in a safe environment."

Contact: Melanie Lemoine

The interviews varied, depending on their use of Mursion. Questions included:

• In what ways are you using the Mursion platform?

• How long have you been using it? Did you look at other alternatives?

• What departments are using it? Are they collaborating?

• What classes are you using it?

• How are faculty using it in their classroom?

• How many faculty are using it?

• What have been the faculty responses?

• Have you evaluated student responses?

• What problems or obstacles have arisen?

• Have you used it in collaboration with the community?

• How are you funding it?

• Have you been able to generate revenue from it?