Online Virtual 3-D Health Care
Learning Environments
Margaret M. Hansen
Visiting Associate Professor UTS
Associate Professor School of Nursing
University of San Francisco
http://www.m2hnursing.com
HISA Educational Meeting
12. February 2008
Are you interested?
• During the past year an increased interest
in virtual 3-D worlds as learning spaces
• You may find campuses within these
virtual spaces
• Flexible places for creative expression,
learning, exploration, role modelling
• Familiar virtual 3-D spaces are Second
Life, Active Worlds, and There
You can live a second life…
• Second Life
– Created and owned by “residents”
– Linden Labs brought it to “this” life in 2003
– Currently has 6 million residents from over
100 countries in “this first” life
– Choose a new name; create a character,
animal or even icon as an “avatar”
– fly, dance, sit, open doors, swim, eat, etc.
– http;//slife.com/
What are they?
• An opportunity to
– Login and interact with a sense of ‘presence’
– Social networking (Web 2.0 example)
– Share rich media in a seamless manner
– Creates a feeling of presence
– Connection with the community
– Connect with friends/business associates
• The 2007 Horizon Report
• K.Boulous http://healthcybermap.org/sl.htm
So what is the link to education?
• Immersive environment where people meet,
interact, explore, and construct knowledge
• The Y and Z generations
– Y Gen (1980-1994): can’t imagine life without
technology
– Z Gen (1995-2009?): addicted to technology
– Learning styles include fluency in multimedia and
simulated-based virtual 3-D settings, co-design of
learning experiences, personalized to individual
learning needs, communal learning – Dede (2003)
Pedagocial Potential?
• Second Life Education Wiki: Sim Teach
– “Second life provides a unique and flexible
environment for educators interested in distance
learning, computer-supported cooperative work,
simulation, new media studies, and corporate
training.”
– “Second life provides an opportunity to use simulation
in a safe environment to enhance experiential
learning, allowing individuals to practice skills, try new
ideas, and learn from their mistakes”
– Moreover, students and educators may collaborate at
a distance in a networked social community.
– http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second
_Life_Education_Wiki
Theoretical Frameworks
• Jean Piaget’s Constructivism
–
–
–
–
Active learning through interaction
Reflects perception and understanding of experiences
Learner generated
Collaboration…knowledge is socially constructed
• George Siemen’s Connectivism
– Wisdom of the crowds
– Social networks
• Roger’s Diffusion of Innovations Theory
– Academics adoption of new innovations?
Use in education?
• From English to Chemistry courses meet
in Second Life
• Emergency preparedness activities in
Play2Train
• The Advanced Learning and Immersive
Virtual Environment (ALIVE) project at
USQ
– http://eprints.usq.edu.au/2983/1/Baillede_Byl_Taylor.pdf
Examples in Education
• Healthcare
• The Integration of Physiology Models with
Avatars to Expand the Opportunities for HighFidelity Medical Training
– Live practice drills for disaster response simulated at
the hospital and victims are human role-players
• Nursing Students Train for ED Environment in
Virtual Online World
– Nursing students instruct their 3-D avatars to treat
patients using real-life tools (IVs, oxygen set up, etc)
Examples in Healthcare
• Person-to-Person Interaction Demonstration:
Patient Exam Role-Play
– Students may get the experience of interacting with
patients and other healthcare professionals thru role
playing in a safe environment
– Following the role play students may discuss and
reflect on their experiences and how it will shape their
future encounters
– http://www2.kumc.edu/tlt/SLEDUCAUSESW2005/SLP
resentationOutline.htm
More Examples
• Play2Train: An Idaho Bioterrorism Awareness
and Preparedness Program
– http://www.Ibapp.org/
• The French Language Virtual Medical University
• Attending Medical School in Virtual Reality
– http://student.bmj.com/issues/07/12/news/431.php
• The Centers for Disease Control
– Share public health information via “Hygeia Philo”
(lover of health)
– http://www.social-marketing.com/blog/2006/11/cdcssecond-life.html
And, more examples
• Genetics in Second Life
– Created by a medical student at the Univ of
Debrecen
– http://scienceroll.com/2007/04/11/genetics-insecond-life/
• Virtual Hallucinations Project at Univ of
California at Davis
– http://www.smh.com.au/news/biztech/lookwhos-got-a-secondlife/2006/12/05/1165080887728.html
Pros and Cons
• Pros:
– Multiverse environment that people may construct,
play, immerse themselves, construct knowledge
– Continuing education for students and health
professionals
– Obtain a land grant at Campus Life and give it a whirl
– New learning environments for students and research
opportunities
• Eg, Graduate students learning to become educators may
develop their own classrooms, curricula, objectives, and
learn how to collaborate, role play, build connections, play
games, navigate streaming video/audio/YouTube, etc
Pros and Cons
• Cons
– Concerns with Internet addiction,
trust/identity/privacy issues/pornography
– Potential 3D navigation
– User interface issues
– Costs
– Good scripted story and learning objectives
So what about learning outcomes?
• Research, research, research
• Research Potential of Virtual Worlds: What
environment for what methodology?
– http://terranova.blogs.com/terra_nova/2007/1
0/research-potent.html#more
• Research efforts begin with adoption of
the technology
• Interviews and ethnographic research
methods are recommended
Do you want a second life?
• Well, many of us can’t even get a first life
• And, of course this technology may be too
overwhelming for academics to adopt
• Look forward because it is forecasted in 2
years this technology and ‘serious gaming’
will be at the forefront of higher education
• Perhaps we all need to get a second life
avatar and ‘play’ in the future playground
of higher education
Thank you!
• I want to thank Denise Dignam and Doug Elliott
at UTS for giving me the gracious space to
research Web 2.0 technologies and to discuss
the ideas that are roaring in my head for the
future of healthcare professional education and
development
• And, thank you for your time and attention!
• Contact: margaret.hansen@uts.edu.au or
mhansen@usfca.edu
• Podcast will be made available at
http://www.m2hnursing.com
References
• Antonacci, DM & Modares, N. (2005) Second Life: The
Educational Possibilities of a Massively Multiplayer
Virtual World (MMVW)
– http://connect.educause.edu/Library/Abstract/Second
LifeTheEducationalP/43821?time=1202781852
• Dede,C. (2005) Planning for neomillennial learning
styles. Educatuse Quarterly, 28(1). [Online]. Available:
www.educause.edu/apps/eq/eqm05/eqm0511.asp?bhcp
=1.