Abstract:

Effective simulation activities incorporate structured debriefings. The recommended group size for debriefings is between two to four learners and no more than six learners. The small group size is advantageous for conducting thorough analyses and engaging all learners in detailed reflections as well as in-depth self-assessments of their performances and behaviors during simulation. Large group sizes inhibit participation; thus, the purpose of the structured debriefing is diminished. The activity presented here is the structured debriefing portion of an online simulation that was aligned to a standardized tool for structured debriefings. It was conducted with classes of 20-25 students each; large groups. To effectively engage all learners, verbal interactions were supplemented with Zoom chats and an interactive web-based response system, Mentimeter. This session will present a step-by-step method for a structured debriefing post simulation, highlight the use of interactive web-based platforms, share learners' use of Mentimeter for structured debriefings with visual displays, and provide hands-on interactive examples of how to incorporate chats and Mentimeter into a structured debriefing. The goal is to showcase virtual tools to engage learners during large group debriefings. This is highly applicable in today's distance learning settings where classes are composed of more than six learners, nearly always. Interactive engagement is critical to the active learning process and achieving the goals of simulation based education.

Keywords:

Interactive, simulation, debriefing, Mentimeter.