HLSC666 - Advanced Simulation Practice

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Unit rationale, description and aim

Simulation is a key driver in the pedagogical shift from didactic-based to participation-based (active) learning in higher and health professional education. Educators using simulation as a learning and teaching method have a responsibility to design, deliver and evaluate simulation activities that are informed by scholarly evidence to address a need, are of high quality, and are sustainable. This unit helps students to learn about and apply educationally sound processes and practices required to design, deliver and evaluate effective simulation programs in the context of higher and health professional education.

To that end, students will first develop their knowledge and understanding of advanced simulation techniques through a critique of contemporary simulation and education literature. Students will then advance their understanding by synthesising this knowledge through the construction of a session plan for a simulation activity informed by scholarly evidence. Finally, students will develop the ability to apply this knowledge and understanding by employing selected models and theories of learning, exploring educator and learner characteristics, and considering ethical, moral and legal issues relating to simulation-based learning in higher and health professional education. Scholarly evidence will be combined with practical community wisdom as important sources of learning.

The overall aim of the unit is therefore to prepare students to optimise the learner and learning experience of simulation as a theoretically and practice-informed learning and teaching method in higher and health professional education. 

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Content

Topics will include:

Features and applications of contemporary simulation in higher and health professional education

• The role of scholarly activity in contemporary simulation practice
• Features of contemporary simulation practice in higher and health professional education
• Applications of simulation in higher education and healthcare organisations, for example
• teaching, learning and assessment
• research and evaluation
• interprofessional education and team training
• service quality improvement
• environment and systems testing

Advancing simulation practice in higher and health professional education

• Application of education models and theories to inform simulation design
• Exploring cultural, social, ethical and legal dimensions of community through simulation

Advanced facilitation techniques

• Learner and educator characteristics
• Instruction and facilitation

Integrating reflective learning into simulation design

• Differentiating between feedback, debriefing, reflective learning and reflective practice
• Integrating models and frameworks of reflective learning into simulation design
• Constructive alignment: Aligning learning outcomes, debriefing and reflective learning

Facilitating reflective conversations

• Communication and interpersonal techniques
• Behaviour modification techniques
• Facilitating conversations involving different levels of reflection: Balancing feedback, debriefing, and reflective learning.

Evaluation of simulation plan and activity

• Models, strategies and levels of evaluation
• Aligning evaluation process with strategic priorities
• Self-review and peer-review
• Using evaluation data

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

ACU Online

This unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of knowledge essential to the discipline. Students are provided with choice and variety in how they learn. Students are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous weekly discussions. Active learning opportunities provide students with opportunities to practice and apply their learning in situations similar to their future professions. Activities encourage students to bring their own examples to demonstrate understanding and application, and to engage constructively with their peers. Students receive regular and timely feedback on their learning, which includes information on their progress.

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment strategy used aims to progressively develop student knowledge and skills to enable them to meet the learning outcomes for this unit; in other words, it supports student learning as well as providing a means to demonstrate learning. In order to develop the knowledge, comprehension and skills required to achieve the learning outcomes and Graduate Attributes, students will:

• first, demonstrate knowledge and understanding of advanced simulation techniques through a critique of contemporary simulation and education literature (for example, a short answer format paper),
• second, advance understanding by synthesising this knowledge through the construction of a session plan for a simulation activity, and
• in the final assessment task (hurdle task), use their knowledge to create, reflect and evaluate a simulation. This exercise will allow students to utilise their new set of skills and knowledge for their future teaching practice, especially designing and conducting a simulation in health professional education. 

In order to successfully complete this unit, students are required to:

• complete and submit all assessment tasks;
• achieve an overall passing standard across all three assessment tasks
• achieve a passing standard for a hurdle task demonstrating the ability to apply knowledge and understanding to the actual delivery (facilitation) of a simulation.

It is important to understand that failure on the hurdle task will result in a failure for the unit regardless of performance on all other tasks. Students are permitted one attempt at the graded hurdle task, with one additional attempt being offered, if required.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Billett, S., & Henderson, A. (Eds.). (2011). Developing learning professionals. Integrating experiences in university and practice settings. Springer.

Hellaby, M. (2013). Healthcare simulation in practice. M&K Publishing

Levine, A.I., DeMaria Jr., S., Schwartz, A.D., & Sim, A.J. (Eds.). (2013). The comprehensive textbook of healthcare simulation. Springer.

Nestel, D., Kelly, M., Jolly, B. & Watson, M. (Eds.) (2018). Healthcare simulation education: Evidence, theory and practice. Wiley Blackwell.

Sherwood, G.D., & Horton-Deutsch, S. (Eds.). (2017). Reflective practice. Transforming education and improving outcomes. Sigma Theta Tau International.