Use of Simucase for Clinical Learning in Malaysia

INTRODUCTION

In line with the changing agenda of the international paradigm that promotes the use of technology in the learning of health studies to overcome problems related to placement, logistics, human resources for supervision, patient aversion and creating a safe and conducive learning environment to form good competencies before stepping into clinical field learning. World bodies such as the World Federation Occupational Therapists allow the replacement of 20% of clinical field training to alternative clinical learning such as the use of technology and tele-health.

This study can be a catalyst for technology-based clinical learning than just conventional methods to enrich the learning experience. This can influence the policy in promoting the effective use of existing commercial technologies in clinical learning for health science programs in Malaysia and can transform national higher education scenario in the future.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Education research in allied health especially rehabilitation, is more marginalized than medicine or nursing. This retards the advancement of teaching and learning strategies to optimize allied health education. Adopting knowledge from other fields such as medicine and nursing may be less fitting with the allied health education's needs. Therefore, it is essential to tailor the available learning strategies carefully to optimize their learning benefits according to the discipline's needs.

The clinical placement was reported to have missed a substantial learning opportunity due to a lack of theoretical application and weak teaching skills among clinicians. Having clinical simulation to supplement clinical placement was beneficial to optimize the gain from clinical learning as it was constructed on a solid learning theory. Simulation has become more advanced with the current availability of technology in combination with gaming elements. The combination of virtual simulation and gaming element creates substantial learning opportunity based on Kolb's experiential learning model.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Main Objective

• To investigate the applicability of SimucaseTM software for clinical learning among health science students.

Specific Objectives

• To investigate the efficacy of SimucaseTM compared to conventional approach for clinical skills.
• To compare students' satisfaction on learning using SimucaseTM over conventional approach in clinical learning among health science students.
• To explore the feasibility of SimucaseTM as an alternative learning method for clinical learning among health science students.

Study design

The experimental study method used pilot study techniques, clinical control studies is proposed. This method is a high-quality technique to ensure the effectiveness of an intervention is credible.

Study samples

Students will be selected from the disciplines of audiology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech therapy at an institution. It is expected that 24 students (12 per control and experiment group) for each discipline will be recruited. Only second- to fourth-year students will be recruited, as first-year students have not yet taken any specialized courses in the program, making them unprepared for clinical learning.

Procedure

Each discipline will conduct RCT research separately to reduce the bias of differences between fields of study. Here, each RCT research will divide the students into two groups using sample random sampling, namely (i) the experiment group - who will receive the clinical learning method using SimucaseTM; and (ii) the control group - which will accept conventional clinical learning methods such as problem-based learning case-study case studies. The topic of learning is the same for both groups. It is recommended to have a learning session of two sessions for each group within a week. After the end of the study, the study participants will be evaluated for their performance by answering some survey forms (i.e., SLSQ). Only one data collection time is done (i.e., post-test) only. For ethical purpose, the control group and the experiment group will be cross-over (e.g., swap) on the learning approach to experience both approaches but not evaluated.

Inclusion criteria

• Students from rehabilitation-related academic programmes such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy and audiology.
• Students from undergraduate second to fourth year of the academic programme.

Exclusion criteria

• International students Students who are not willing to participate in this program during the semester break.