Margaret Verkuyl

Virtual gaming to develop students' pediatric nursing skills: A usability test

BACKGROUND As competition for specialty clinical placements increases, there is an urgent need to create safe, stimulating, alternative learning environments for students. OBJECTIVE To address that clinical gap, our team developed a virtual game-based simulation to help nursing students develop their pediatric nursing skills. DESIGN A usability study was conducted using the Technology Acceptance Model as a research framework. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS The study was conducted at a community college and included nursing students, nursing faculty/clinicians and two gaming experts. METHODS The two experts evaluated the game using a heuristic checklist after playing the game. Participants engaged in a think-aloud activity while playing the game and completed a survey and interview based on the Technology Acceptance Model to explore ease of use and utility of the game. RESULTS We found a high degree of user satisfaction with the game. Students reported that they had learned about pediatric care, they had become immersed in the game and they were keen to keep playing. Several design changes were recommended. CONCLUSION Usability testing is critical in the early stages of simulation development and the study provided useful direction for the development team in the next stage of game development.

Virtual gaming simulation of a mental health assessment: A usability study

Providing safe and realistic virtual simulations could be an effective way to facilitate the transition from the classroom to clinical practice. As nursing programs begin to include virtual simulations as a learning strategy; it is critical to first assess the technology for ease of use and usefulness. A virtual gaming simulation was developed, and a usability study was conducted to assess its ease of use and usefulness for students and faculty. The Technology Acceptance Model provided the framework for the study, which included expert review and testing by nursing faculty and nursing students. This study highlighted the importance of assessing ease of use and usefulness in a virtual game simulation and provided feedback for the development of an effective virtual gaming simulation. The study participants said the virtual gaming simulation was engaging, realistic and similar to a clinical experience. Participants found the game easy to use and useful. Testing provided the development team with ideas to improve the user interface. The usability methodology provided is a replicable approach to testing virtual experiences before a research study or before implementing virtual experiences into curriculum.