1. Avatars: Bringing Case Studies to Life
Rachel Ramsey, MS, RN & Cheryl Rockwell, MS, RN
Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne
Introduction
Instructional methods that employ technologies used in the current social environment may increase student engagement and interest in course content.
Avatars are frequently used as personal representations in gaming and online environments. Using avatars in the classroom to represent case-study patients can bring traditional case studies to life, resulting in engagement through meaningful interaction with patients in the classroom environment.
Case-studies successfully promote critical thinking and understanding of knowledge; bringing the technology of avatars and case studies together can promote engagement and application of course content.
Goal: Through the use of “living” case-studies, we aimed to Improve nursing students’ understanding of the subjective nature of pain and increase their ability to accurately assess pain and apply appropriate interventions to relieve pain in a variety patient populations.
Implementation
PowerPoint introduction to concepts
Overview:
Physiology
Assessment
Patient Considerations
Intervention
Evaluation
Avatar Case-Study Initiated
Avatar Introduced
Collaborative Exploration
Dialogue – Students & Avatar
Unfolding Case-Study
Student-led patient Interview
Pain experience
Pain assessment
Evaluation of current pain
management plan
Class Discussion
Psychological, social factors
Effectiveness of management plan
Modifications to management plan
Results
Real-time assessment of the
activity was encouraging:
students were receptive
students were engaged
Mean total perception score was
4.05 (SD = 0.48) on a 5 point
scale.
A more interesting approach to
learning than traditional
lecture.
A more effective approach to
learning than traditional lecture.
Neither age nor gender had an
effect on students’ perceptions
of the avatar case-studies.
1= Strongly Disagree = Disagree = Unsure = Agree = Strongly Agree
Bibliography
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Conclusions
Enhancing traditional case-studies with avatar technology encourages interaction by allowing students to dialogue with patients while in the classroom, where students have the support of the instructor and peers. In this study, “living” case-studies enriched the learning experiences of nursing students of both genders and a variety of ages.
Further research directions:
Using avatar case-studies with a larger sample.
Investigating the impact of avatar case-studies on
learning outcomes.
students’ abilities to critically think about pain
management.
Determining if students experience greater
connectedness with avatar patients than with
traditional case-study patients.
Examining the impact of avatar case-studies on the pain management theory-practice gap.
Patient Avatar