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Instructional Simulations: The Make-Believe Real World ... Randy De Kler, Program Manager, Respiratory CareThe ultimate goal of any learning process is to change behaviors, right? If we accept that premise, then we must also accept the fact that some of the behaviors we are trying to change are risky. When we see Dr. Green perform a life-preserving procedure on ER , we don't always think about how dangerous such a procedure can be to a patient in real life. Similarly, we may not always appreciate the risk a police officer takes on a day-to-day, indeed minute-to-minute basis. How do these professionals reach these levels of performance and ability? Through training and practice, of course, but what form does that practice take? Do they just jump right in and operate in real situations? Thankfully for consumer of their services, the answer is no. They must be trained and they must practice under simulated or artificial conditions.Minimization of risk is one of the great advantages of an effective instructional strategy called simulation. Simulation may be defined as an artificial representation of a real environment. Other advantages of simulations include minimization of cost, affordance of repetition, decreased learner anxiety and control over time and conditions. A simulation can be as simple as a text-based role playing activity or as complex as a full immersion virtual reality experience. However, for the achievement of many instructional goals a relatively simple and effective simulation experience can be developed that also allows for reasonable fidelity or realism. Assuming that a learner has mastered any theory or knowledge required to function in a given situation, effective performance in a real world situation requires an accurate and critical assessment of the conditions of the situation the learner is in, the ability to apply that assessment to the development of a plan of action, the technical proficiency to take that action and the ability to self-evaluate and redirect action if necessary. In other words, the learner is expected to think critically and solve problems based on a specific knowledge base and skill set. When learning to apply and perform that skill set involves excessive risk or cost or is of a complexity that requires a artificial slowdown in speed or a modularization of steps, an instructional simulation can be useful. The development of an instructional simulation follows a logical process similar to the traditional instructional design process (Dick & Carey, 1996). First, the environment or situation to be simulated must be defined. This requires deconstructing the environment into its elemental parts. Next, the simulated experience must be mapped in a logical, but realistic way. The early Disney animators pioneered this process and named it storyboarding. It allows the developer to see the simulated experience in its entirety and in one place. Once the experience has been mapped, it is recreated in whatever medium the developer intends to use. The medium chosen depends upon instructional objectives, available resources, technical ability and learner characteristics. One medium that allows for a relatively high level of fidelity while maintaining a reasonably easy to use development process is presentation software, like PowerPoint. The advent of PowerPoint 97 saw the introduction of hyperlinking in the program. This feature is what enables its use as a rudimentary simulation development platform. Include the ability to add images, audio, animation and video and fidelity may be enhanced. Since I teach in the healthcare discipline, Respiratory Care, the simulations I employ are of a clinical nature. I eventually want my students to function safely and effectively in real hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities, but I get them to that level by training them in simulated environments where everything is within my control and no one gets hurt. The clinical simulations themselves are stratified from simple to complex; from basic physical assessment to advanced life support techniques. To begin the process, I use concept mapping to define the simulated environment. The visual technique allows for expedited, but detailed, conceptualization. This mapping can be done with paper and pencil or by using a flowcharting tool such as is available in the AutoShapes section of the Draw toolbar in Word. With the simulated environment and conditions defined, I then proceed with the low tech, but effective, note card. In this application of the storyboarding technique, each note card represents a segment of the simulated environment and process the learner will experience. These segments are arranged in logical order, usually chronologically. Each note card includes a description of the segment being represented to include a listing of any media to be used in the final simulation as well as directional instructions for use when creating hyperlinks. For my students, these media may include things like an image of a chest x-ray, an audio clip of abnormal breath sounds or a video of a patient exhibiting signs or symptoms of a disorder to be treated. The identification or production of media like these would be the subject of another article. The next step is to transform the note cards into interactive PowerPoint slides. The visual design of the slides depends in part on the intended audience and application environment. If the simulation is to be used as a teaching adjunct in class, the design must rely on standard techniques used when slides are to be projected on a screen and viewed from a distance. If the simulation is to be used as an individual, standalone learning module to be accessed by an individual student at an individual computer, then standard, computer-based instruction screen design techniques would be used. For ease of use when creating the simulations navigational schema, be sure to give a unique name or number to each slide. This makes the correct linking of slides much more manageable. Descriptive names work best since numbers can be difficult to remember when the simulation contains many slides. When developing the slides, include the objects or text to be used as hyperlinks within the slide. Once all of the slides have been created, hyperlinks may be activated. Finally, the simulation must be tested for accuracy and sequencing. That is, the content must be realistic and correct and the slides must go from one to the other in the correct order. Limitations to simulation development with PowerPoint include the inability to track or record learner progress. For this reason, PowerPoint simulations may only be used to teach and not to test. Older versions of PowerPoint required that PowerPoint or its viewer be installed on the computer on which the simulation was to be used. Newer versions allow for the conversion to browser-friendly format. This allows for greater flexibility in terms of compatibility and distribution (i.e. CD, Internet or intranet). With practice, educators can design and create effective computer-based, instructional simulations using presentation software like PowerPoint. Bibliography: De Kler , R. (1997). Clinical simulations: A chronological and pedagogical perspective. Respiratory Care 42 (9). De Kler, R. (2001). Developing computer-based clinical simulations. In J.G. Anderson & M. Katzper (Eds.), Proceedings of the Health Sciences Simulation Conference 2001 (pp. 171-172). San Diego : The Society for Computer Simulation, International. Dick, W. & Carey, L. (1996). The systematic design of instruction, 4 th ed ., Harper Collins Driscoll, M. (1998). Web-based training: Using technology to design adult learning experiences. Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer Gagné, R.M., Briggs, L.J., & Wager, W.W. (1992). Principles of instructional design, 4 th ed. , Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Harasim, L., Hiltz, S., Teles, L., & Turoff, M. (1998). Learning networks: A field guide to teaching and learning online. MIT Press. Jonassen, D.H. & Grabowski, B.L. (1993). Handbook of individual differences, learning, and instruction. Lawrence Erlbaum. Jonassen, D.H. (2000). Computers as mindtools for schools: Engaging critical thinking. Prentice Hall. |
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