The specification and design of an interactive virtual environment for use in teacher training

In this paper, we examine the rationale behind the specification and design of an interactive, virtual environment, optimized for particular task-based learning activities and the dissemination of information. The software we describe represents a typical British primary school for use in training Information and Communications Technology (ICT) co-ordinators at primary level. By documenting our ongoing evaluation of both this resource and the technologies used in its implementation, we provide a detailed description of the production process of a prototype piece of software. This highlights the importance of pedagogy, new technologies and project management, and should be of particular interest to multimedia designers and academics preparing to develop innovative learning applications