Abstract:

Swansea University is currently expanding the use of simulation-based learning (SBL) innovations and methodologies to meet the needs of over 3000 students within the medical, health & life sciences programmes. This has included a project to redesign a central simulation and VR centre, multi-site redesigns of Immersive learning environments in the remote campus locations and form an interprofessional faculty that is dedicated to advancing SBL.

During this presentation we will explore how the team has gained funding to research the use of immersive wall technology with hybrid simulation methods including VR/AR technology, to ensure that learning can be dispersed from a central hub that has the mass of interprofessional faculty to the decentralised centres where currently nursing programmes are the primary cohort of learners.

This 2-tiered research project will discuss the Phase 1 approach, using immersive wall technology to promote interprofessional, multi-site clinical simulation opportunities and the phase 2 expansion, the collaboration with the college of engineering to overlay augmented and virtual reality technology to create hybrid simulation opportunities across multi-sites. The college of engineering in Swansea has an award-winning Immersive Media Observatory (IMO) department that creates and works with students undertaking master’s level and PhD programmes on augmented and virtual reality learning packages. The IMO team to date have developed 37 educational VR apps, the 4 most related to this project: Anatomy, Elderly Empathy, Body Dysmorphia and Tracheostomy modules which will be exampled as part of the presentation.

Results / Evaluation:
During this presentation, the team will focus on the way we plan to.
1. work with expertise from across our schools on using the latest simulation and mixed reality technologies to help support IP learning opportunities.
2. design & pilot the proof of concept using a tiered technology approach.
3. evaluate the effectiveness of this method including development and operations
4. analyse educational results
5. analyse learner and faculty feedback
6. analyse our ability to achieve IP learning and explore the markers we intend to use to measure this.

Data will be captured in our simulation management system and any VR software developed, with the intention to also film this research and training within our simulation management system.
The aim is to commence with internal SU projects and once the concept results are available expand to collaborative projects with our education and sim partners locally as a priority and explore national and international clinical simulation opportunities.

Keywords:

Interprofessional, Immersive Learning, Simulation-based learning, virtual reality, mixed reality, augmented reality.