Emergent Themes for Instructional Design: Alpha and Beta Testing During a Faculty Development Course.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Instructional Design
• Simulation-Based Learning

Background:

• Instructional design principles are integral to developing healthcare education activities.
• Iterative design with alpha/beta testing is used in simulation development but lacks detailed description.
• This study examines design changes during a novice faculty development course focused on simulation education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the process of instructional design changes during novice healthcare simulation education.
• To identify common themes in design modifications made by novice educators during alpha/beta testing.

Main Methods:

• A mixed methods approach was employed, collecting participant narratives and checklist/rating scales.
• Qualitative analysis using grounded theory identified emergent themes from narratives.
• Quantitative analysis assessed changes in critical areas identified through checklists and rating scales.

Main Results:

• Frequent design changes centered on themes of realism, protocols, introductions, and roles.
• Qualitative themes from narratives were supported by quantitative analysis of change areas.
• Identified themes represent common areas of focus for novice simulation scenario designers.

Conclusions:

• Novice simulation scenario designers exhibit consistent thematic patterns in their design adjustments.
• Faculty development programs should incorporate targeted instruction on common pitfalls in realism, protocols, introductions, and roles.
• Anticipating and addressing these predictable design challenges can enhance the effectiveness of simulation-based healthcare education.