Spread the love

Here is a reflection of my critical inquiry Simulations from A Human Lens – Utilizing UDL in Simulation-Based Learning – Week 2.

The ability of simulations to affect sociotechnical systems in organizations makes simulations a widely used educational technology regardless of the organizational industry. Educators use simulations widely in nursing education due to their ability to mimic reality without endangering patients’ safety (Dreifuerst, 2015: Palaganas, Fey, & Simon, 2016: Zigmont, Kappus, & Sudikoff, 2011). Kriz (2003) argued that the use of Gaming Simulations (GS) goes beyond professional training and organizational development. Educators use simulations to support change processes in organizations due to their ability to “support[ing] organizational learning, change[ing] mental models, foster[ing] alternative interpretation patterns of reality, develop[ing] new communication and action patterns, and reconstruct[ing] the sociotechnical aspects of organizations” (Kriz, 2003, P.509). GS affects learners by impacting their social interpretation patterns of reality, developing knowledge and competencies, and changing the sociotechnical systems of organizations regardless of their industry. The simulation design that has such an impact on organizational change processes must also include appropriate pedagogy to address diverse learners’ needs in organizations.

Simulations as educational technology provide a platform for incorporating some UDL guidelines into its design, multiple means of representation (UDL1), action and expression (UDL2), and engagement (UDL3) (CAST, 2018). Instructional benefits for simulations lie in their ability to present content and skills and scaffold support in multiple ways (Walker, McMahon, Rosenblatt, & Arner, 2017). The multi-media features such as real-time interactions, motion and action, and realism of environment to promote psychological processes relevant to performance in real-world settings, which accordingly enhance feelings of presence and engagement (Kanar, & Kozlowski, 2008). These instructional benefits align with UDL 1 and 3. However, I found that incorporating the third UDL guideline, action and expression in simulation-based learning could be challenging.

My critical inquiry is directing me towards exploring the appropriate pedagogical practices that might potentially provide multiple means for expression and action in simulation debriefings for individual and group learners. Educators in simulation-based learning are not only tasked to design a curriculum for an increasingly diverse student population but also develop a curriculum that fosters individual learning and learning within a group. I started my inquiry by connecting adult, experiential, and social learning theories to simulation-based learning and examining the effect of reflective learning pedagogy, collaborative learning pedagogy, and learner-centred pedagogy in simulation debriefings design. Can applying those learning theories and pedagogical approaches help incorporate UDL guidelines generally – specifically the third UDL? I am hoping my critical inquiry will help me find out!

References

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Dreifuerst, T. (2015). Getting started with debriefing for meaningful learning. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 11(5), 268-275. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2015.01.005.

Kriz, C. (2003). Creating effective learning environments and learning organizations through gaming simulation design. Simulation & Gaming, 34(4), 495–511. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878103258201

Palaganas, C., Fey, M., & Simon, R. (2016). Structured debriefing in simulation-based education. AACN Advanced Critical Care, 27(1), 78–85. doi.org/10.4037/aacnacc2016328

Verkuyl, M., Lapum, L., St-Amant, O., Hughes, M., Romaniuk, D., & McCulloch, T. (2020). Exploring debriefing combinations after a virtual simulation. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 40(C), 36-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2019.12.002.

Walker, Z., McMahon, D., Rosenblatt, K., & Arner, T. (2017). Beyond pokémon: Augmented reality is a universal design for learning tool. SAGE Open, 7(4), 2158244017737815

Zigmont, J., Kappus, J., & Sudikoff, N. (2011). Theoretical foundations of learning through simulation. In Seminars in perinatology,35(2), 47-51. WB Saunders.

Attribution

Photo by Paul Skorupskas on Unspash