Second Life(®) Virtual Learning in Public Health Nursing

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Sciences
• Virtual Learning Environments

Background:

• Limited public health nursing clinical placements pose challenges for nurse educators.
• Need for innovative, engaging alternative learning experiences for nursing students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of virtual learning scenarios as a supplement to traditional clinical experiences.
• To assess undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of learning in a virtual environment.

Main Methods:

• Development of three Second Life® virtual learning scenarios (family health, disaster preparedness, home safety).
• Supplementation of undergraduate senior nursing students' public health nursing course with virtual scenarios.
• Evaluation of student learning perceptions via surveys and focus groups.

Main Results:

• Students perceived knowledge acquisition in public health nursing through virtual scenarios.
• Students found virtual experiences less effective than on-site clinicals for public health nursing skill development.

Conclusions:

• Second Life® serves as an effective platform for teaching public health nursing when clinical access is restricted.
• Addressing technological issues and ensuring realistic, interactive scenarios are crucial for maximizing virtual learning effectiveness.