Development of a Flexible and Extensible Computer-based Simulation Platform for Healthcare Students

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Medical Simulation Technology
• Virtual Learning Environments

Background:

• Clinical placements are essential but pose significant cost and logistical challenges for health profession students.
• Current simulation methods, often mannequin-based, are typically single-event, difficult to organize, and lack inter-professional focus.
• Computer-based simulation presents an under-researched yet promising avenue for enhancing student learning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of a novel, entirely virtual 3D simulated environment.
• To trial this virtual environment for inter-professional student education.
• To explore an alternative to traditional, resource-intensive clinical placements.

Main Methods:

• Development of a fully virtual 3D simulated environment.
• Trialling the virtual environment with health profession students.
• Focus on inter-professional learning scenarios within the simulation.

Main Results:

• The paper details the creation and initial testing phases of the virtual 3D simulation.
• The virtual environment was designed to facilitate inter-professional collaboration.
• Early trials indicate potential benefits for student learning and preparation.

Conclusions:

• Virtual 3D simulation is a viable and potentially more accessible method for health profession education.
• This technology can support inter-professional learning, preparing students for diverse clinical settings.
• Further research and implementation of computer-based simulation are warranted.