DigiCare

Development of virtual teaching and learning scenarios in nursing education

In the DigiCare project, we are exploring the development of digital skills and solutions in virtual learning spaces with the support of VR technology in generalist nursing training. The learning scenarios are oriented to the practical needs of nursing training and focus in particular on the interface between nursing school and practical training.

As a partner in this three-year research project, prefrontal cortex is working closely with the nursing school “Henry-Dunant”, DRK Saxony-Anhalt and the AG Versorgungsforschung (Healthcare Research), University Medical Center Halle.

During this time, we focus on a consistent interaction and presentation concept in VR, which we develop at an early stage with trainees and teachers. During this time, it is very important for us to be able to test these concepts iteratively with prototypes in the nursing school. In addition, we outline an accompanying teaching concept with the teachers on how to integrate VR into existing lesson plans. In doing so, we combine familiar methods such as group work, worksheets, or physical training models in the sequence with VR.

In terms of content, we are initially concentrating in this research project on scenarios from the learning fields of mobilization and wound care in generalist nursing training. The scenarios each represent a representative cross-section with different clinical pictures, methods or environmental situations. This gives all trainees the same opportunity to practice this content independently of practical assignments and at their own learning speed.

We develop the VR scenarios for the mobile VR headset Meta Quest 2. These devices definitely offer freedom of movement for the training of mobilization and can be used flexibly in seminar rooms without an additional computer. Interaction and locomotion can be used with controller or hand tracking in the scenarios and can be changed fluidly depending on the situation. We make our regular updates of the prototype conveniently available for testers via Applab on the VR headsets.

The research work is done within the framework of the research project “DigiCare – Virtual teaching/learning scenarios in generalist nursing education” which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (funding code: 03WIR3106D). Funding period: 01.08.2021 – 31.07.2024