Preparing Graduate Students for Virtual World Simulations: Exploring the Potential of an Emerging Technology

Abstract

Crisis and emergency risk communication (CERC) is a key competency for healthcare management and leadership professionals. Historically, skill-building scenarios designed to teach emergency preparedness have relied on tabletop exercises. While this is a useful format in traditional, on-campus programs, the development of a corresponding activity for online students has been a challenge. At Seton Hall University (SHU), developing skill-building scenarios that increase management competencies is a priority for both the on-campus and the online Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) programs. Realizing a need to provide online students with similar learning opportunities to those available to on-campus students, Anne M. Hewitt and Susan Spencer, faculty members in the online MHA program, worked with Danielle Mirliss and Riad Twal, staff members from SHU's Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center (TLT Center), to investigate simulation options using virtual worlds like Second Life to replicate the tabletop exercise experience. The resulting exercise, which promises to offer online students the same realistic training experience traditionally provided by an in-person tabletop exercise, provided pilot participants with a training experience that improved their mastery of important concepts. However, we found that challenges involving student support and technology access must be addressed before virtual world simulations can be implemented successfully.