Journal of Online Learning Research and Practice Volume 7, Number 2, 2019 | Page 30

Spectrum Educational Tool: Animated Scenarios for Teacher Preparation
ing and completing their education
(Cheng, Basu, & Goebel, 2009). In addition
to students, eLearning plays an
important role for professionals who
need to stay abreast of the latest technologies
or information. The successful
implementation of eLearning applications
ensures equal learning facilities
in both rural and urban areas of any
nation. Government and other private
institutions are investing a significant
amount of money in online education
to spread education to all areas around
the world; over $107 billion was spent
on self-paced eLearning in 2015 (Nemo,
2015). The literacy rate should increase
in many areas of world with the support
of eLearning applications (Kazmer &
Haythornwaite, 2004).
During the early stages of online
programs, the primary concern of educators
was whether the results were
equivalent to traditional classroom
learning. Studies confirm that there is
no major difference between online and
traditional classroom learning (Kazmer
& Haythornwaite, 2004; Stack, 2015).
Further, researchers predicted that adding
a blended learning approach would
be widely used in K-12 schools and
universities (Porter, Graham, Spring,
& Welch, 2014). Many multinational
companies, such as BBC and Discovery
Education, in collaboration with some
institutions and universities, are offering
online curriculum for diplomas and
undergraduate and graduate programs.
There is abundant material to explore
in online education (Chen, Huang, &
Shih, 2002; MindShift, 2014).
In many conventional web-based
eLearning environments, students
browse and consume static information.
To make eLearning environments
more effective, students need to interact
with dynamic content. Many researchers
are investigating user interaction
aspects in eLearning settings. Studies
show positive outcomes for students
in interactive eLearning environments
(Buchanan & Palmer, 2017; Fiorella
& Mayer, 2016; Gao, Liu, & Paas,
2016; Jeno, Grytnes, & Vandvik, 2017).
ELearning design increasingly focuses
on how to make environments more
interactive than before. Today, there are
many eLearning web and mobile applications.
The Spectrum educational tool
is an online eLearning application that
is accessed using web browsers, such as
Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari, etc., and
via mobile devices, such as an iPhone or
iPad. It supports interactive simulations
by enabling preservice teachers to interact
with the multimedia component.
ELearning and Teacher-based
Training
With the advent of the Internet, preservice
and inservice teachers may be
trained using online learning environments
without limitation of time, space,
or location. One strategy for learning is
blended learning, which integrates technology
with traditional teacher-based
training. Blended learning increases the
effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction
of learners (Kupetz & Ziegenmeyer,
2005; Porter et al., 2014).
Developers and designers should
not assume that preservice teachers
are aware of the latest technologies.
Some online teacher professional development
programs make it possible
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