The authors report on a comparative case study of first and final year pre-service teachers enrolled in an undergraduate education degree who engaged with an online classroom simulation. The findings indicated the first year pre-service teachers were able to identify and articulate their emerging teaching philosophy and began to visualise themselves in the role of a classroom teacher. By way of comparison, the final year pre-service teachers were able to draw upon their previous experiences and knowledge whilst engaging with the simulation to articulate their philosophy of teaching and make important connections between their university coursework and field experiences.