Some thoughts on nursing and medical education

SL education should be something that cannot be done in the real world. It should not simply be a duplication of the traditional classroom environment (How Not to Teach in Second Life, Milosun Czervik, 10-31-06).

In the area of medical training, high risk but low frequency medical problems can be assessed and treated, in a relatively safe environment. Mistakes can be learned from without harming anyone. The cost is lower than say, high fidelity patient simulators, which can average $100,000 and up for the equipment and physical setting alone. Many schools have one or share one, which when used in a large school, limits the number of exposures students can experience. These simulators have a limited amount of responses they can generate beyond physiologic measurements. In the virtual world, there is an unlimited variety of responses, although not tactile yet, in movement and physical interaction. Until robotics are used more in these patient simulators, they will fall far short of simulating a realistic interactive patient. And when that occurs, the costs will be even higher.

In some of my face to face teaching in a more traditional environment, I try to resist lecturing to the students. I do provide them with an asynchronous online Flash format of a narrated PowerPoint with links to videos, animations, and other graphics, as well as embed quizzes every few slides or so. I even take screenshots of the more graphic websites and put them in the PowerPoint with a hyperlink. Games such as Jeopardy and crosswords are used in the asynchronous environment, to further enhance their learning.

However, this all has limitations, especially the application to a more real life situation. In recent years, I have conducted classes only with videos of real or reenacted medical emergencies, and let the students respond and anticipate what they would do and how. This stimulates much discussion and interaction and encourages them to learn the facts first. The problem is that the quiet students do not participate in the discussion much.

However, using 3D interaction can certainly increase the learning because it used multiple learning styles , as well as high levels of learning. The real challenge, and one I am currently experiencing, is to create interactive 3D simulations for the learning outcomes. Second Life, even though its scripting and building are far easier than using many other computer programs, still has a steep learning curve to produce well thought out and stimulating exercises for students to interact with. Clearly there is a need in education to analyze the learning needs of the student and use appropriate ones (How Not to Teach in Second Life, Milosun Czervik, 10-31-06). Many of the simpler education tools do not address the more interactive style of learning and are mostly just 2D visually.

Virtual worlds need to be multi discipline and multi interest (Horizon Report, 1-23-07).

Should universities be closed, insulated from the greater Second Life? I do not think so. Training for a particular occupation does not just require knowledge of facts and their application in an isolated environment. Multitasking as well as interacting with colleagues and customers, are especially important things to learn. What goes on inside a workplace is clearly affected by what goes on outside, both personally and in a societal sense. Business is global, affected by many cultures and nationalities.

Distractions during the educational process can hinder learning. However, attention of students should be maintained while in open areas where different interests, abilities, and societies overlap.

JS Vavoom in SL, aka John Miller