Welcome to this, our new blog at SimTabs!
At SimTabs, we create simulations for healthcare training — simulations set in 3D virtual spaces representing hospitals, clinics, or the home. This type of simulation goes by various names — screen-based simulation, virtual simulation, online simulation.
Screen-based simulations are an exciting sub-field of healthcare simulation because they are completely online, requiring no physical simulator (expensive mannequin) or a physical simulation center. Participants log into, or download, simulations from any location, saving time and transportation costs.
To be engaging, screen-based simulations are highly interactive. Sometimes, they are also 3D, in order to make them feel realistic, and give the learner the experience of being in an authentic work space. Gamification or serious games is another dimension of screen-based simulations. We will bring up and discuss, in this blog, examples and research about efficacy and engagement of screen-based simulations.
A new feature of simulations is the ability to create virtual reality experiences. Understanding how to use virtual reality for engaging, effective medical simulations is a new frontier and an extremely exciting one — something we plan to include in our blog and discussions.
So, in this blog, we will explore the broad field of screen-based simulation, the new technologies that will impact its growth, and the pedagogic principles that should underlie good educational practice using simulations. If this is an area of interest for you, welcome!