Funded by: School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University
Co-Investigators: Marie-Eve Bolduc, Barbara Shankland, Bernadette Nedelec
Project Description:
Simulation has been shown to be an effective approach to allow learners to apply the knowledge, skills and reasoning acquired during their academic training into the clinical milieu. However, it remains unclear if the various types of simulation hold the same educational value and which components of these simulations are most valuable to students’ learning. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the usual simulation delivery methods in one of the Occupational Therapy (OT) Program’s musculoskeletal courses at McGill University was modified during the fall 2020 semester. These pandemic-driven changes represent a new approach to usual practice in simulation and a unique opportunity to compare and contrast student learning using three different simulation methods.
The objective of this project is to explore the perceived educational value of three different types of simulated learning activities experienced by OT students: live at a distance (telehealth simulation with simulated patients), live in person in pairs of students (role play) and live in person with simulated patients. This study will contribute to our understanding of the strengths and limitations of the different approaches to simulation from the point of view of OT students. The results of our study will be used to improve future learning activities.
