Virtual Learning In Nursing Education What Is a Virtual Learning Environment
A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is an interconnected set of tools and resources used to manage, deliver, and evaluate online learning. It facilitates educational activities by using digital platforms and applications that enable interactions between students, educators, and content, regardless of geographical limitations. One popular example of a VLE is Second Life (SL), a three-dimensional virtual platform that provides an immersive and interactive experience mimicking the real world. Users in SL are represented by avatars, which are virtual personas that allow them to engage with the environment and other users. This engaging and collaborative experience makes SL and similar platforms effective tools for teaching and learning.
Use of Virtual Environments in Nursing Education
Virtual environments such as Second Life have proven to be effective learning spaces for nursing education. These environments offer a wide range of interactive and experiential learning opportunities that cater to different learning styles while providing diverse educational experiences. While traditional passive learning methods like lectures and posters can be replicated in virtual environments, the unique advantage of VLEs lies in their ability to provide engaging, active learning strategies that enhance student learning outcomes.
Social interactivity in environments like SL creates a sense of presence, which enhances learning through activities such as immersion, collaboration, construction, and communication. These elements allow nursing students to engage more deeply with the content and develop critical skills.
- Immersion: Virtual environments provide students with opportunities to immerse themselves in realistic simulations, where they can practice professional roles in a safe and supportive environment. For example, students can participate in simulations, scenarios, and games designed to teach various nursing concepts and skills. A scenario where students role-play in a culturally diverse virtual work environment offers a safe space to simulate real-world challenges, such as dealing with cultural differences in patient care.
- Clinical Simulations: Through programmed clinical simulations, students can learn to prioritize actions, practice clinical procedures like medication administration and blood transfusion, and develop critical thinking skills necessary for providing safe and effective care.
- Collaboration and Problem Solving: Virtual environments offer opportunities for students to collaborate, practice critical thinking, and solve problems together through activities like virtual meetings, explorations, scavenger hunts, and construction projects. Virtual hospitals, clinics, and universities can serve as simulated clinical sites where students complete case studies, plan patient care, and apply research findings.
- Development of Projects: SL provides various geographic spaces and opportunities to develop projects that align with specific learning outcomes. Students can build and configure virtual hospitals, clinics, and communities or write business plans, develop curricula, and solve real-world clinical, educational, or administrative problems.
- Communication Skills: Virtual environments allow students to practice inter-professional communication skills by interacting with patient avatars during clinical encounters, counseling sessions, or support groups. Organizations can also use virtual spaces for continuing education sessions and professional meetings, which can be particularly beneficial for reaching healthcare professionals in rural or underserved areas.
Impact of Virtual Environments on Nursing Education
New generations of nursing students are accustomed to technological teaching methods, including authentic tasks, games, simulations, and interactive learning with peers. This makes them more open to exploring and learning in virtual environments (Veltman et al., 2012). The primary advantage of using virtual environments like SL is that they build on prior learning in a socially interactive context, fostering deeper understanding.
Virtual environments provide realistic physical spaces, such as virtual hospitals or clinics, where students can practice clinical skills. These spaces are accessible to students and educators worldwide, enhancing the global reach of nursing education. Research shows that students respond positively to avatar-based case studies and that such methods help achieve learning outcomes, improve student satisfaction and confidence, and promote collaboration and communication (Aebersold et al., 2012; Foronda et al., 2013; Miller and Jensen, 2014).
Virtual environments are particularly effective for learning to work with culturally diverse patients (Games and Bauman, 2011). Simulations in a VLE also promote professional behavior, communication skills, and interviewing techniques (Veltman et al., 2012; Sweigart & Hodson Carlton, 2013). As a student-centered methodology, virtual environments like SL encourage student autonomy, facilitate learning through faculty support, and employ multifactorial assessments to improve learning outcomes (Foronda et al., 2013; Miller and Jensen, 2014).
Use of Virtual Environments
When implementing virtual environments like Second Life in nursing education, faculty must first determine their educational objectives and how these platforms can meet specific learning needs. Faculty must also familiarize themselves with the virtual environment to ensure effective integration into the curriculum. Publicly accessible areas in SL are available; however, for security and control, educational institutions often purchase private islands to create safe spaces for their students. The cost of acquiring such islands is generally lower for educational institutions than for individuals.
The creation and management of these virtual spaces may require technical expertise and resources. Institutions can employ consultants to help design physical environments, develop scenarios, and create simulations that align with their learning objectives.
To successfully use virtual environments, educators must provide adequate training and practice opportunities for students and faculty. This involves setting a schedule for practice sessions, providing technical support, and offering clear guidelines for student behavior and attire in virtual settings, which should mirror professional standards in real-world environments.
Students should receive training on how to perform various motor skills in SL, such as walking, running, flying, and opening doors. Providing Second Life URLs (SLURLs) is also helpful in guiding students to the correct virtual locations for educational activities. The integration of SL into courses should start with a thorough exploration of the platform and a review of the literature to understand its benefits and limitations.
Educators should explore multiple uses of SL to determine the most effective approaches for achieving the desired learning outcomes. By focusing on student-centered educational activities, virtual environments like SL offer a rich resource that allows for experiential learning in a safe, controlled setting.
Conclusion
Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) like Second Life provide a powerful, flexible, and innovative approach to nursing education. By enabling realistic simulations, promoting collaboration and communication, and offering safe spaces for students to practice clinical skills, virtual environments effectively enhance the educational experience. With proper planning, training, and support, these digital platforms can help prepare nursing students to meet the complex challenges of contemporary healthcare. As the evidence base for virtual learning strategies grows, the adoption and integration of VLEs in nursing education will likely continue to expand, fostering the development of competent, confident, and culturally aware nursing professionals.