Simulated learning activities: supporting students
05 Mar 2024
Institute of Teaching and Learning Fellowship Project set out to develop an education framework that focuses on supporting students in simulated learning activities
The project, undertaken by Institute of Teaching and Learning (ITL) Fellow Emma Ormerod, considered the use of simulation in teaching, and the ways it can be applied to help expand practice-based learning opportunities. Emma is a Senior Clinical Lecturer in the School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. The BSc Speech and Language Therapy programme uses real clinical cases for simulations – the scenarios mirror the clinical process and provide exposure to various skills including clinical communication skills, clinical reasoning and clinical admin.
Working with a student partner and the ITL project team, Emma explored the use of simulation in teaching and learning activities, and how it can be designed and structured to facilitate students' deeper learning and confidence-building.
Emma believes simulation will play a significant part in revolutionising and transforming how healthcare education is delivered, particularly when considered as part of a continuum of learning, and can also benefit teaching and learning in many other disciplines. Much focus is given to the technology and resource needed to support simulation but, by comparison, little focus is given to the value of the learning taking place in simulation. Students, trained to navigate unpredictable situations, need more than just technical skills. They require the development of essential human qualities – compassion, resilience, and the ability to function within a team.
The main outputs of the project are Simulation in Teaching, an eLearning resource for educators in any discipline, and a practical guide for developing and running simulations, which shares how-to knowledge, guidance and practical tips for developing simulated learning activities. Emma also developed the “Learner in the Learning” Triangle Model: bringing the whole self to the classroom, as detailed in her report:
ITL Fellowships are open to Academic and Professional Services colleagues. Fellows are appointed annually to develop and deliver a strategically-aligned project to enhance an aspect of teaching and learning across our University while working in partnership with students to effect positive change.
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