This document summarizes a study conducted by Northwestern Health Sciences University exploring the use of Second Life for chiropractic education. A focus group of students found the idea intriguing but had concerns about time and technology. In winter 2010, 5 students interacted with an avatar of a 72-year-old patient in a virtual clinic setting using voice chat. Student feedback was mixed, with some finding it a useful learning experience and others preferring real-world interaction due to inability to see body language cues. The study found technical issues to be the primary challenge and more exploration is needed to creatively use virtual environments for chiropractic education.
Discusses having RN nursing students use Second Life to apply theory, work with support groups, and assess/treat an avatar patient, from a conference at the from a conference at the Best Practices, Allied Health, May 7, 2008 in Renton, WA, USA.
Places for News: an exploration of context and situated methodsYuval Cohen
Dissertation project completed for MSc Human-Computer Interaction at UCL Interaction Centre (UCLIC). Explores contextual factors that affect news consumption, and technologies that can be used to research them. Supervised in part by the BBC.
Consumer Health Informatics, Mobile Health, and Social Media for Health: Part...Nawanan Theera-Ampornpunt
Presented at the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy Programs in Data Science for Healthcare and Clinical Informatics, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand on November 10, 2021
Social media as it relates to students with disabilities in post secondary ed...Joseph Doan
Social media usage is pervasive throughout almost every age group from pre-teen to senior citizens. As social media becomes a more ubiquitous part of everyday life, educators are discovering innovative ways to incorporate its use, and students have benefited from it. This presentation discusses how post-secondary education students with disabilities can also participate in and benefit from using social media tools and services like blogs, wikis, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Second Life.
Discusses having RN nursing students use Second Life to apply theory, work with support groups, and assess/treat an avatar patient, from a conference at the from a conference at the Best Practices, Allied Health, May 7, 2008 in Renton, WA, USA.
Places for News: an exploration of context and situated methodsYuval Cohen
Dissertation project completed for MSc Human-Computer Interaction at UCL Interaction Centre (UCLIC). Explores contextual factors that affect news consumption, and technologies that can be used to research them. Supervised in part by the BBC.
Consumer Health Informatics, Mobile Health, and Social Media for Health: Part...Nawanan Theera-Ampornpunt
Presented at the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy Programs in Data Science for Healthcare and Clinical Informatics, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand on November 10, 2021
Social media as it relates to students with disabilities in post secondary ed...Joseph Doan
Social media usage is pervasive throughout almost every age group from pre-teen to senior citizens. As social media becomes a more ubiquitous part of everyday life, educators are discovering innovative ways to incorporate its use, and students have benefited from it. This presentation discusses how post-secondary education students with disabilities can also participate in and benefit from using social media tools and services like blogs, wikis, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Second Life.
Virtual Worlds Paper Ni09 Hansen Murray Erdm2hansen
A brief overview of Virtual Worlds as a pedagogical tool for the education of health care education. By: Margaret Hansen, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, at NI09 Congress, June 29, 2009, Helsinki, Finland
Issues of using ICTs in higher educationPaul Oliver
Presentation slides for "issues of using information communication technologies in higher education" presented by Paul Oliver and Emma Clayes (Perth College UHI) at the European Conference of Social Media (ECSM 2014).
The healthcare industry is rapidly evolving in tandem with a demand for increased flexibility in the delivery of education in our fast-paced society. As a result, the passive reception of content by students, delivered by an expert from the front of the class, is becoming increasingly redundant. Students are now being taught, ubiquitous connectivity allowing widespread access to online materials (Collier, Gray, & Ahn, 2011). Programs such as nursing are often offered in an external, online delivery mode (Wright, 2013). Due to an increasingly aging population, healthcare is by far one of the fastest-growing industries, and graduate job seekers choosing to enter healthcare, will need to ensure they have developed sound digital literacies, particularly as they apply to professional communication. It is imperative that students develop and leverage emerging communication technologies as part of their portfolio prior to seeking employment (Clark, 2009; Hargittai & Litt, 2013).
Simulating Patients for Healthcare Training: Appearance, Shape, Influence, an...SeriousGamesAssoc
Gregory Welch, Prof. & AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Simulation
Prof. Laura Gonzalez, Prof. Juan Cendan, Prof. Mindi Anderson | all University of Central Florida
Simulating Patients for Healthcare Training: Appearance, Shape, Influence, and Awareness
This panel will provide an introduction and discussion about the medical needs and alternate approaches for simulating patients when engaging in the training of healthcare practitioners, e.g., nurses and physicians. Examples approaches will include using real humans (standardized patients), physical “mannequins” with varying degrees of robotic actuation and sensing, computer graphics-based virtual humans, and a novel approach to what we call physical-virtual humans. Among other things we will discuss the appearance, physical shape, environmental influence, and apparent awareness of each, along with the implications on healthcare training.
Presented by the
Serious Play Conference
seriousplayconf.com
at
Orlando,
University of Central Florida,
UCF,
July 24-26, 2019
Student Reading Preferences: Will The Past Be Our Future?Excelsior_College
A presentation by Excelsior College's Barbara Pieper, PhD, RN, Patricia Cannistraci, DNS, RN, CNE, and Maurice Odondi, PhD, describing the reading habits and preferences of returning adult nursing students in regard to electronic reading material for both leisure/social enjoyment and academic work.
According to the 2016 ECAR survey, 96% of undergraduates in the U.S. now own a smartphone and the trend is on the rise. How can educators design learning so as to improve access for the smartphone learner?
Track 4. New publishing and scientific communication ways: Electronic edition, digital educational resources
Authors: Javier Merchán Sánchez-Jara; Sofia Pelosi; Almudena Mangas Vega; Taisa Rodrigues Dantas; Raquel Goméz-Díaz; Araceli García-Rodríguez; José Antonio Cordón-García
https://youtu.be/zCAIJFleYB0
Virtual Worlds Paper Ni09 Hansen Murray Erdm2hansen
A brief overview of Virtual Worlds as a pedagogical tool for the education of health care education. By: Margaret Hansen, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, at NI09 Congress, June 29, 2009, Helsinki, Finland
Issues of using ICTs in higher educationPaul Oliver
Presentation slides for "issues of using information communication technologies in higher education" presented by Paul Oliver and Emma Clayes (Perth College UHI) at the European Conference of Social Media (ECSM 2014).
The healthcare industry is rapidly evolving in tandem with a demand for increased flexibility in the delivery of education in our fast-paced society. As a result, the passive reception of content by students, delivered by an expert from the front of the class, is becoming increasingly redundant. Students are now being taught, ubiquitous connectivity allowing widespread access to online materials (Collier, Gray, & Ahn, 2011). Programs such as nursing are often offered in an external, online delivery mode (Wright, 2013). Due to an increasingly aging population, healthcare is by far one of the fastest-growing industries, and graduate job seekers choosing to enter healthcare, will need to ensure they have developed sound digital literacies, particularly as they apply to professional communication. It is imperative that students develop and leverage emerging communication technologies as part of their portfolio prior to seeking employment (Clark, 2009; Hargittai & Litt, 2013).
Simulating Patients for Healthcare Training: Appearance, Shape, Influence, an...SeriousGamesAssoc
Gregory Welch, Prof. & AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Simulation
Prof. Laura Gonzalez, Prof. Juan Cendan, Prof. Mindi Anderson | all University of Central Florida
Simulating Patients for Healthcare Training: Appearance, Shape, Influence, and Awareness
This panel will provide an introduction and discussion about the medical needs and alternate approaches for simulating patients when engaging in the training of healthcare practitioners, e.g., nurses and physicians. Examples approaches will include using real humans (standardized patients), physical “mannequins” with varying degrees of robotic actuation and sensing, computer graphics-based virtual humans, and a novel approach to what we call physical-virtual humans. Among other things we will discuss the appearance, physical shape, environmental influence, and apparent awareness of each, along with the implications on healthcare training.
Presented by the
Serious Play Conference
seriousplayconf.com
at
Orlando,
University of Central Florida,
UCF,
July 24-26, 2019
Student Reading Preferences: Will The Past Be Our Future?Excelsior_College
A presentation by Excelsior College's Barbara Pieper, PhD, RN, Patricia Cannistraci, DNS, RN, CNE, and Maurice Odondi, PhD, describing the reading habits and preferences of returning adult nursing students in regard to electronic reading material for both leisure/social enjoyment and academic work.
According to the 2016 ECAR survey, 96% of undergraduates in the U.S. now own a smartphone and the trend is on the rise. How can educators design learning so as to improve access for the smartphone learner?
Track 4. New publishing and scientific communication ways: Electronic edition, digital educational resources
Authors: Javier Merchán Sánchez-Jara; Sofia Pelosi; Almudena Mangas Vega; Taisa Rodrigues Dantas; Raquel Goméz-Díaz; Araceli García-Rodríguez; José Antonio Cordón-García
https://youtu.be/zCAIJFleYB0
Psychology on Second Life?: Learning, Support and Research in 3D Online Multi...Simon Bignell
Bignell, S.J. (2009). Psychology on Second Life?: Learning, Support and Research in 3D Online Multi-user Virtual Environments. Keynote Lecture at McCord Museum. International Conference on the Use of the Internet in Mental Health, McGill University, Canada. May 2009.
The views expressed in this presentation are those of the individual Simon Bignell and not University of Derby.
Beyond the “Digital Divide”: Understanding the complexities of access and inc...D2L Barry
Presentation at 2019 D2L Connection at Normandale CC on April 5, 2019
Beyond the “Digital Divide”: Understanding the complexities of access and inclusion in an online learning environment- Emily Myanna and Jennifer DeJonge, Metropolitan State University
Diverse media utilization in physical therapy educationMike Pascoe
Slides from my contribution to the #CSM2014 pre-conference course titled "Teaching and learning in a digital age: Using technology to enhance physical therapy education."
Digital balance literacy: A model for supporting wellbeing in the digital era debbieholley1
The health and wellbeing of staff and students have become a more pressing concern during the Covid-19 pandemic. While EdTech corporations are celebrating the increased use of digital media as a breakthrough and aim to keep institutions locked into patterns that emerged as a reaction to the crisis, following a „support now, sell later“ logic ( (Ben Williamson und Anna Hogan 2020), negative influences on health and wellbeing, as well as an increase in both educational and health inequalities have manifested. Institutions have responded with a range of initiatives; however, the Jisc Digital Competence Framework (UK) and the EU DigComp framework had already added in, and recognised, the importance of “digital health and wellbeing”. Drawing upon the body of work the authors contributed to the recent EU Digital Competence review (health and wellbeing) we challenged existing assumptions. Our paper is located within the under theorized area of starting with a ‘non digital’ point of reference on the digital/non digital continuum (cf. widened uses and gratifications approach by (Krcmar 2009), and we argue that this is a crucial aspect in terms of the future framing of models for health and wellbeing in the digital era.
The underpinning evidence base is interdisciplinary, and for our proposed model, we have synthesized the work from two key research traditions.
The first tradition is grounded in paediatrics and developmental (neuro)-science and draws upon research about the impact of the media, and the problematic aspects of screen usage, especially on children and adolescents. This is well documented and problem dimensions have been subdivided into excessive time, age-inadequate content and dysfunctional mood regulation as a predecessor to addictive use (Bleckmann und Mößle 2014) Strategies to ameliorate excessive screen time targeted at children, their parents and educators are varied and often combine reducing access to devices with the fostering of alternatives to screen media use during leisure time.
The other research tradition focuses on ways in which digital media can contribute to health and well-being in different ways. End users can either use digital media to find information on health issues, or they can use them for online contact with experts from the medical and therapeutic profession for remote diagnosis or online treatment, or use entirely digital tools (online health applications). The skill set needed is then seen as similar to that of classical health literacy (access, understand, appraise, apply). Existing early models like the Lily model of eHealth Literacy ( (Norman und Skinner 2006) , but also wider models like Digital Health Literacy (van der Vaart, Drossaert 2017) are in line with this tradition; our model seeks to draw together both traditions.
Invited presentation to UCF's 2012 Summer Faculty Development Conference on the topic of using immersive learning environments to prepare and engage more students into study abroad.
Running head STUDENTS DEPENDENCE ON PERSONAL DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY 1.docxtoltonkendal
Running head: STUDENTS DEPENDENCE ON PERSONAL DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY 1
STUDENTS DEPENDENCE ON PERSONAL DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY 2
Students Are Harmed By Their Dependence on Personal Digital Technology
December 2, 2016
WALSH, K. (2012, June 20). Pros and cons of digital devices in the hands of young students. Retrieved from EmergingEd Tech: http://www.emergingedtech.com/2012/06/pros-and-cons-of-digital-devices-in-the-hands-of-young-students/ In her article, “Pros and cons of digital devices in the hands of young students” Walsh, (2012) evaluates the various advantages as well as disadvantages that accrue from students’ use of technology devices. Walsh expresses her worry concerning the extent to which students are using computers tablets among other devices. Even though she agrees that the devices have their advantages, wash still maintains that the devices, have numerous distractors and they may also expose the students to inappropriate content. Moreover, she argues that the digital technology also exposes the students to some health issues.
Mateo, S. (2911, June 1). Digital Dependence of Today's College Students Revealed in New Study from CourseSmart. Retrieved from PR Newswire: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digital-dependence-of-todays-college-students-revealed-in-new-study-from-coursesmart-122935548.html
Mateo, (2011) compiled the research findings of research concerning the dependence of college students on digital devices. The research had been carried out by Coursemart. The findings reveal that students are wholly dependent on digital devices these days. In fact, 98% of the students that participated in the survey had digital devices (Mateo, 2011).
Straumsheim, C. (2016, January 26). Digital Distractions. Retrieved from Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/01/26/study-use-devices-class-nonclass-purposes-rise
The article, “digital distraction” by Straumsheim, (2016) discusses the consequences of the overdependence of students on digital devices. Straumsheim, (2016) reports that the average student uses the digital devices for non-educational purposes. Moreover, the students sometimes use the devices, during class. Such behavior derails their concentration and in fact, harms their grades. As such, Straumsheim, (2016) report’s that the students, end up not paying attention in class, losing grade points, missing instructions, destructing others and also getting called out by their instructor.
Hatch, K. E. (2011). Determining the Effects of Technology on Children. Retrieved from [email protected]:http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1212&context=srhonorsprog
Hatch, (2011) analyses the negative as well as the positive sides of technology to children. She argues that even though digital media has its advantages to children, it also has numerous cons.as such, the research reports that the dependence on digital media has health adversities, on the students and it also changes their ...
OBJECTIVES: Translational research focuses on the bench-to-bedside information transfer process — getting the information from researchers into the hands of clinical decision makers. At the same time, researchers who manage international research collaborations could benefit from increased knowledge and awareness of online collaboration tools to support these projects. Our goal was to support both needs through building awareness and skills with online and social media.
METHODS: The Library developed a curricula targeted specifically to academic researchers focusing on collaboration technologies and online tools to support the research process. The curricula will provide instruction at three levels: gateway, bridge, and mastery tools. The goal of Level One is to persuade researchers of the utility of online social tools. To develop the program, input was solicited from researchers identified as leaders in this area as well as focus groups of students to discover which tools are already being used.
RESULTS: Training is being provided on those tools identified as most likely to engage researchers (Google Docs, Skype, online scheduling, Adobe Connect, citation sharing tools). The curricula is being delivered as workshops duplicated as podcasts and in other online media.
CONCLUSIONS: Online and social media are practical tools for supporting distance collaborations relatively inexpensively while offering the added benefit of placing selected information in online spaces that facilitate discovery and discussion with clinical care providers, thus supporting the fundamental research processes at the same time as promoting bench-to-bedside information transfer.
Snow, Floods Swine Flu Terrorist Threats Keep Calm and Carry OnBex Lewis
Debate panel presentation for University of Plymouth E-Learning Conference, 11.15am, Friday 9th April with regards to cultural change in institutions wth regards to introducing e-tools for learning.
Authentic Learning Colloquium @University of the Western Cape VeronicaMitchell
This presentation aims to highlight the complexity of medical education. It describes the necessity to engage in a non-linear approach that appreciates the students' experiences and their voices. Student-led workshops in their Year 4 & 5 Obstetrics blocks have led to collaborative initiatives promoting change in maternal healthcare services.
Similar to Virtual worlds for chiropractic education feasible or foolish (20)
Authentic Learning Colloquium @University of the Western Cape
Virtual worlds for chiropractic education feasible or foolish
1. Glori Hinck, RD, MS, DC
Associate Professor
Northwestern Health Sciences University
Bloomington, MN USA
ProjectTeam:
JeremyThompson, BS
Lynne Hvidsten, DC, MBA
Mary Berg, MA
2. 2D or 3D
computer-based
simulated
enviromment
Populated by
avatars
Text and/or chat
communication
3. Most commonly
used for educational
purposes
Supports significant
health care
education presence
11. A review of the literature and the
Web finds no reference to
utilizing Second Life as part of
chiropractic education
12.
13. Focus Group
Students
Intrigued
Concerns re:
time/technology
Suggested
elective option for
clinical education
hours
14.
15. Winter 2010
5 students (T8)
Avatar created for 72
year-old real-world
patient
Students created own
avatars
16. Met in virtual
clinic
Interview
using voice
chat
Follow-up
Survey
Monkey
17. Moodle
Patient intake
forms
Instructions
Second Life
User Manual
18.
19. “…I could hear his voice and he responded to
questions in a way that was not just a script”
Gained insight regarding the challenges in taking
a history from a geriatric patient, “They tend to
jump around…they also have a lot of other
problems besides the primary complaint they are
seeing you for.”
20. Primary Problem: Technical issues
Software is free but must be downloaded
Hardware requirements
High-speed internet
IT support
SOUND!!!
University firewalls
**Significant time investment by participants to
learn how to navigate and interact within world
21. “Not being able to see the person, inspecting
them, watching for visual cues”
Would rather interact with a patient in the real
world.
These students had difficulty suspending disbelief
enough to truly see the patient behind the avatar,
and were frustrated by the inability to communicate
through body language
29. Second Life (http://secondlife.com/
Most popular virtual world platform for education
Computer/web- based simulated multi-media
environment
3-D social network
Users interact via avatars
Voice chat/text chat/instant messaging
Integrate with Moodle via SLOODLE
Boulos, M.N., Hetherington, L., &Wheeler, S. 2007. Second Life: an overview of the
potential of 3-D virtual worlds in medical & health education. Health Information and
Libraries Journal. 24. 233-245.
Editor's Notes
Good morning. Today I will be discussing the feasibility of using virtual worlds in chiropractic education based on a project completed at NWHSU this year.
This slide depicts just a few of the virtual worlds currently available. A virtual world is an interface that allows users to interact using text or chat in a computer-based 2D or 3D simulated environment populated by avatars.
Second Life is the virtual world most commonly used for educational purposes and it also supports a significant and growing health care education presence2.
Why virtual worlds? The 2007 HorizonReport predicted that virtual learning spaces would impact higher education and be adopted on a wide scale basis within the next two to three years… While this wide scale adoption has not yet occurred, the use of virtual worlds in education is growing considerably.
A number of health care professions currently have a virtual educational presence in Second Life including Pharmacy
Pharmacy case histories in a virtual world
Using their Second Life avatars, UNC-Chapel Hill Pharmacy students visit a virtual representation of Greensboro’s Moses Cone Family Practice Center. There, they learn the location of the exam room and waiting room and the layout of the building. They view video
clips demonstrating a successful and effective patient interview. Another pharmacy student, whose avatar has the role of patient, is given all the information they need to effectively play their role. The patient is invited into the exam room for a consultation with the pharmacy student who takes the case history. The interview is conducted with the voice chat feature of Second Life, allowing the students to talk to each other in real-time as if they were conducting a real interview at the Family Practice Center. At the conclusion of the interview, the “patient” leaves the Exam Room, and the pharmacy student proceeds to a quiz station where
he or she takes a quiz to assess the effectiveness of the information obtained during the case history interview. Once the review is completed, the results are e-mailed to the pharmacy instructor to assure him or her that the student has completed the module
successfully.
Many medical education institutions including the Indiana University School of Medicine
Nursing as shown in the postpartum simulation created by the University of Auckland
Postpartum simulation scenario
The entire floor of the central building has been dedicated to the simulation, and
includes a lecture area complete with whiteboard, a round-table discussion area for
debriefing, and the medical simulation itself. The simulation comprises a
single hospital room, but it is surrounded by a one-way curtain (see in, but not out)
that prevents participants from seeing people in the observation seating area. The
simulation requires student nurses to interview a patient in the bed (played by the
instructor) and to make appropriate clinical decisions following the discovery of
profuse bleeding (fig. 11).
Dentistry at Texas A&M and the University of Maryland
Using an online 3D virtual world called “Second Life,” Drs. Hutchins, Wathen and colleagues have begun to develop a grand rounds dental experience. They envision inviting clinicians in various specialties to present important, evidence-based issues as the subject matter of each grand round. Basic science faculty will participate to provide foundational support for the integration of the subject matter. The format to be used will include several short segments modeled after the Burton and Roth grand round format (New England Journal of Medicine 340:1516, 1999).
U of M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tvdySF0J1s
A US dental school is opening the doors of the first-ever 3D virtual dental education facility. students will be able to ‘experience' aspects of dentistry, ranging from lessons in dental hygiene practices to infection control and anatomy.
We started our investigation of this question with a focus group of students who suggested that perhaps SL could be used as an elective option for for fulfilling some of their clinical education observation hours with a site that just happens be a virtual one instead of in real life.
A focus group was formed to begin exploring this possibility9. Students were intrigued by the concept, but were concerned about time and technology constraints. They also expressed an unwillingness to substitute a virtual world experience for hands-on electives. As an alternative, the focus group participants suggested that certain Second Life interactions could be presented as options for fulfilling clinical education hours.
Based on this feedback we decided to use Second Life to simulate a clinical patient interviewing experience. A virtual world chiropractic clinic could expose patients to diverse patient populations not otherwise available in the typical patient interviewing curricula. Students could interact with geriatric patients, or patients with disabilities, and could interview real patients with real histories in real time. The use of avatars offers some degree of anonymity for the patient, perhaps making them more willing to share their health histories for educational purposes
I then created a virtual chiropratic clinic in SL.
I have had two courses in SL but do not consider myself an expert and I have no coding experience. So this process is definitely possible for the average educational institution.
Clinical Rotations are required, 'one-time' observations at various chiropractic sites around the metro area. This
Voluntary Clinical Rotation
During the winter of 2010 5 students volunteered to conduct a virtual interview with a geriatric patient in Second Life. Moodle was used to disseminate information such the patient intake forms completed by the real patient. Instruction manuals were developed to guide students through the process of downloading the software, creating a customized avatar, and interacting with the virtual world.
An avatar was created for a 72-year old real-life patient with multiple health care issues, and the patient was trained to use this avatar
Each student’s avatar met the patient’s avatar in the virtual clinic and conducted the interview using voice chat. Following completion of the interview, students completed a survey comprised of multiple choice and open-ended questions regarding the experience.
Moodle
Patient intake forms, instructions, Second Life User Manual
Upon review of data collected from the student surveys, several common themes emerge
The students found that the real-time chat dialogue was valuable- “…I could hear his voice and he responded to questions in a way that was not just a script”,
Technology was an issue both in terms of the time required to become proficient as well as difficulty in getting the technology to run reliably. A powerful computer with an up-to-date video card and a fast broadband internet connection are required for optimal performance. IT department are not trained in this software and haven’t budged for support. Sound can be particularly problematic on many levels from using integrating microphones to issues with university firewalls. Time to learn!
In a typical educational setting the problems with using Second Life for teaching and learning are related primarily to technical issues. The software is free, but must be downloaded. Institutional IT departments may resist installing and providing support for this program. Sound can be particularly problematic, and may be blocked by firewalls. When voice chat is used on campus, a sound-proof space must be available., and university firewalls are frequently an issue. In addition, participants require a significant amount of time to learn how to navigate and interact in-world. During the current project we experienced issues with all of the above.
Students also had difficulty viewing the avatar as a “real” patient, expressing that the lack of body language obscured an important part of the clinical interview. They found that “not being able to see the person, inspecting them, watching for visual cues” was challenging. Overall, these students felt that they would rather interact with a patient in the real world.
There are a number of other issues that make Second Life challenging to use in the chiropractic educational setting including the very nature of chiropractic itself. As a profession, we pride ourselves on our low-tech, high-touch approach to patient care. Second Life offers the opposite to this type of encounter, which may make it difficult for the chiropractic student to consider a patient encounter in Second Life as anything but insincere. These students had difficulty suspending disbelief enough to truly see the patient behind the avatar, and were frustrated by the inability to communicate through body language.
Another challenge is the very nature of chiropractic itself. As a profession, we pride ourselves on our low-tech, high-touch approach to patient care. Second Life offers the opposite to this type of encounter, making it difficult for the chiropractic student to see this type of patient encounter as anything but insincere.
So, back to the original question. Is it feasible to implement and use Second Life at a chiropractic institution. Yes- at least at our institution and on a small scale basis.
However, does this necessarily mean that chiropractic educators SHOULD begin using virtual world technology?
Is it simply enough to say that if other health care professions are teaching in virtual worlds, we should follow suit?
Are we going to find that as enrollment of Millennials increases, demands for cutting edge experiences such as these will also increase? If so, will we be ready?
It is my opinion that we really need to continue to explore the possibilities inherent in virtual education. Technology is improving every day. The project I have described is just one possibility in a multitude of educational options available in SL. Based on our student surveys perhaps patient interviewing with upper level students isn’t the best way to proceed intitially. Perhaps we should explore other options.We need to think creatively about how we could use these virtual workspaces to enhance the chiropractic educational experience. if not patient interviewing then perhaps a virtual x-ray positioning lab, student dialogues with disability groups10, integrated clinical experiences offering our students interaction with others from across the world. The possibilities are limitless.