Second Life, a social-networking website that allows users to create virtual characters or avatars that can explore ‘islands’ in a virtual 3D world, has already attracted 15 million fans (Beard et al, 2009). Now many universities are using the site for educational purposes. The University of Nottingham’s ‘island’ contains a virtual midwifery unit.
Students of today are becoming more ‘tech savvy’ and their expectations of animations, interaction and visual activities are high. Most of our students are computer literate and use a plethora of multimedia technologies. Some of the students who have helped me pilot the virtual maternity unit have mastered the basics of making avatars move and touching objects in a very short space of time. However, it is important that students do not get bogged down by the technical elements of using such a site.
This project was developed to enhance student learning about communication and management issues in normal labour through roleplay. Pre-made characters have been created to represent both the woman in labour and midwives. The midwife avatars are representative of the diversity of midwives who practise, so there are four midwives – one white, one black, one Asian and one male. The midwife teacher can use the pregnant avatar (called Gaia) for the purposes of any roleplay.
By following the story of a woman’s labour virtually, the midwife teacher can direct the scenario and students are able to practise various communication and theoretical management of care skills.
The virtual birthing room can have either a pool or bed setting and this
can be changed according to a birth plan, which the midwife avatar
receives by touching a computer screen at the midwives’ station once
Gaia arrives. Once the birth plan has been read, the student can then
select the appropriate birth environment and begin providing virtual
care, as appropriate.
The avatars can adopt various positions in these
settings. Communication and management in all three stages of labour can
be practised virtually. Text-chat or voice controls can be used to
represent speech. The text-chat can be printed off for discussion at a
later date. Various objects in the maternity unit can be clicked on
using the mouse control and information about the objects will appear as
a notecard. The student can read this notecard and store it in an
inventory.
The midwife teacher has access to a control panel,
which will illicit further information about Gaia’s condition as labour
progresses. Information can be provided about various antenatal,
intranatal and postnatal observations, such as blood pressure,
contractions, liquor assessment, degree of moulding, cervical
dilatation, descent of the fetus, tone of the fundus, perineal trauma,
Apgar score and weight of the baby.
Simulation of feeding can also occur. There is also
the ability for Gaia to adopt various positions in labour, receive
analgaesia and for the management of third stage to be physiological or
active.
It is essential to point out here that, although the graphics are of a
high standard, the virtual world is a simulation and not emulation so
not everything is replicated exactly as it appears in the real world.
However, the simulation is very convincing.
Students must develop excellent communication skills
in the clinical arena when dealing with women in their care. But, in
real life, caring for women in labour and dealing with busy staff does
not always offer opportunities to discuss what’s going on, or ask
questions (Bailey, 2011). This is where the virtual environment comes
into its own, as students can immerse themselves in clinical scenarios
and practise communication skills and management of care issues in a
practical and ethically safe environment (Kirriemuir, 2009; Skiba,
2009). This allows students to make mistakes without repercussions or
causing clinical harm to women and babies (Kamel Boulos et al, 2007).
Students can analyse and evaluate the scenario and
work on their problem-solving skills in the environment during roleplay.
Observers who are watching, either in the real world observing the PC
screen or as avatars in the virtual world (known as voyeurs), can also
learn from the scenario played out in front of them.
Practical aspects of communication can be rehearsed
or used after an event as part of the reflective process. Studies have
shown that behaviours developed within virtual worlds can be translated
to real world situations (Savin-Baden, 2010).
Now that the maternity unit is almost complete, I am
asking students to help me pilot its functionality by running scenarios
with me. Once it is fully up and running, I hope to introduce it into
the curriculum for normal birth scenarios.
I have also started to incorporate Second Life into
some of my lessons as part of a blended learning approach (Bailey, 2010)
and as a demonstration aid to enable students to discuss elements of
clinical practice.
The possibilities for using the maternity unit are endless.
References
Bailey J. (2011)
The birth of immersive learning
and contemporaneous storytelling in a virtual maternity unit.
(strengthening midwives and midwifery practice). Theme paper/ presentation at the 13th International Confederation of Midwives Congress. Durban, South Africa.
Beard L, Wilson K, Morra D, Keelan J. (2009) A survey of health-related activities on Second Life.
J Med Internet Res 11(2): e17.
Kamel Boulos MK, Hetherington L, Wheeler S. (2007)
Second Life: an overview of the potential of 3D virtual worlds in
medical and health education.
Health Information and Libraries Journal 24: 233-45.
Kirriemuir J. (2009) Virtual world watch: the early summer 2009 snapshot of virtual world activity in UK HE and FE. See:
http://virtualworldwatch.net/2009/06/22/early-summer-2009-snapshot (accessed 22 January 2012).
Savin-Baden M. (2010)
A practical guide to using Second Life in higher education. Open University Press: Maidenhead.
Skiba DJ. (2009) Nursing education 2.0: a second look at Second Life.
Nursing Education Perspectives 30(2): 129.
Virvox (2011)
The virtual world exchange. See:
https://www.virwox.com/?gclid=CJ3x0-6xrqoCFWcNtAodaWDZfA. (accessed 1 August 2011).
The initiative can be viewed through the university’s series on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjBhcgclOeM or in Second Life itself:
Virtual maternity ward, university of Nottingham (236,208,29)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/university%20of%20Nottingham
