Why Virtual Learning Has Become Foundational

如果您是护士教育者，您可能会同意虚拟学习技术将留在这里。自2019年以来，我们经历了令人难以置信的演变和流行前的发展。那是我们第一次写关于护理学生在虚拟环境中学习学习的主题的时候。从那以后，虚拟学习从2019年的教学变成了2022年及以后的现在的必要性。

Virtual simulation has proven to be more valuable than we ever imagined. This is not only in terms of teaching sound clinical reasoning and decision-making skills, but also in its ease of access and ability to supplement other forms of simulation.

流行前，您可能已经看到头条新闻说“千禧一代是技术依赖性的”或“千禧一代的关注跨度正在减少”。这些主张背后的科学缺乏并且经常有争议。但是，技术对学习环境的影响是毫无疑问的。不仅仅是受影响的千禧一代学习者。What 2020 and 2021 have shown us is that we’re all technology-dependent.

拥有智能手机的美国成年人人数已上升至85％¹，从2019年的77％增加²。And 90% of adults in the U.S. say that the internet has been essential or important for them personally during the pandemic.³搜索信息不再反对suming one, with Google at our fingertips and in our very back pockets. And even those who were most resistant to using the net as a regular part of their life have had to change.

所有这些都意味着，当今的学习者不断寻求新信息，比前几代人在一天之内接触到更多的信息，并且更容易执行多任务处理。⁴成人学习理论可以追溯到渐进式教育之父约翰·杜威（John Dewey）的工作，这表明需要经验，实验和动手学习经验。由于数字媒体已经变得全面，因此新兴的学习方式包括体验式学习，指导指导和集体反思的平衡。

Today’s students need more than didactic learning. They seek to interact with the material in a way they are comfortable with – and that’s online.

In this article, we revisit why virtual simulation is an important element in producing practice-ready nurses in 2022.

Nurse educators’ adoption of digital technologies in nursing education grew exponentially as programs pivoted to distance learning. Unsurprisingly,91% of nursing programs are now using virtual simulation⁶- an increase from 65% in 2016⁷。Other quickly-growing technologies include learning management systems, video for skills, adaptive quizzing, and EHR applications.⁸

Virtual simulation and other technologies have taken permanent root in nursing education. The future of virtual simulation will be less about the learning curve of adopting it and more about how educators can apply lessons already learned.

到2025年，预计护理计划将开始采用更先进的技术，包括虚拟现实，移动应用程序，视频捕获软件，可穿戴设备和制造商。¹⁰

Nursing programs that have larger numbers of enrolled students tend to adopt new technologies more readily, compared to nursing programs that accept fewer students.¹²It’s all about economy of scale.

If you’re a small organization, virtual simulation allows you to leapfrog into new technology and leverage it where human teaching resources are not available. Online training methods can reduce the overall time and cost of a lesson, while maintaining learner satisfaction, confidence, and learning outcomes.¹³

David Kolb first published his experiential learning theory in 1984, based on the earlier works of John Dewey.¹⁴他的四个阶段学习周期以及他定义的四种学习风格，今天仍然影响着教育课程。我们在拉尔达尔（Laerdal）受到他的模型的启发，以至于我们将其用作创建模型的基础Circle of Learning。

Kolb’s experiential learning cycle defines four stages that a learner should progress through:

• 具体体验 - 新体验或重新解释体验。
• Reflective Observation - Interpreting the inconsistencies between experience and understanding.
• 抽象概念化 - 新想法的形成或对现有思想的变化。
• 积极的实验 - 学习者在未来的情况下运用知识，从而带来新的经验。

这一理论基本是studen这一理念t must progress through all four stages in order to effectively learn.This implies that no teaching strategy on its own should be the be-all and end-all to effective teaching。For nursing curricula, it is the combination of didactic, hands-on training, simulation, and clinical experience that prove most effective.

虚拟模拟使学习者可以治疗虚拟患者，收集病史并以患者为中心的护理，而不会受到患者伤害的威胁。学习者沉浸在在线体验中，以实现科尔布周期的反思性观察阶段。从教科书和讲座内容中绘制，学习者参与了这种情况，并就患者的护理做出了重要决定。

专家推荐虚拟患者作为一种学习活动，可以在科学知识中支持护理学生，同时帮助他们将理论纳入实践。¹⁵The repeatability of the scenarios, in conjunction with the debriefing, allows learners to back-track each decision and compare it to evidence-based practices and protocols.

Virtual simulation affords learners a chance to test their knowledge before participating in a full-fledged simulation and, more importantly, before they step foot into a hospital.

As the internet has grown into the mammoth source that it is today, the applications and effectiveness of eLearning have continued to improve. Research has shownthat up to 60% better consistency of learning can be achieved through technology-based training.¹⁶

Virtual simulation requires learners to draw on what they’ve been taught and begin testing the application of their skills. Each scenario follows a storyline, integrating video, patient interactions, and pre- and post-simulation quizzes. While achieving the benefits of eLearning, virtual simulations that include the element of story provide additional advantages to the learning experience.

从头到尾都可以跟随故事的学习者，并看到他们的决策和行动的结果将更好地概念化安全实践。Virtual simulationprovides a safe, effective, and simple online environment to practice critical-thinking and decision-making skills that every nurse needs.