Nursing Education and Design and Development of Simulation Evaluation Phase
Evaluation of the Design and Development Phase of Simulation, Simulation Evaluation of the Implementation Phase, Evaluation of Learning Outcomes While Using Simulation ,Simulation Use In Short.
Evaluation of the Design and Development Phase of Simulation
To evaluate the design and development of simulations created by nurse educators, Jeffries (2005) developed the Simulation Design Scale (SDS). The purpose of this tool is to provide the educator with information and feedback that can be used to improve the simulation design and implementation.
The SDS is a 20-item tool that the learner completes after participating in a simulation to provide feedback on whether the intended simulation design features were present. These features include the objectives and information, support, problem solving, feedback and debriefing, and fidelity.
These are referred to as simulation design features because they define what a quality simulation requires if it will have a positive effect on learning outcomes. The content validity of this instrument was determined by a panel of nine nursing experts. Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to assess internal consistency and reliability for each scale. The coefficient alpha for the overall scale was 0.94.
Simulation Evaluation of the Implementation Phase
When simulations are implemented, particular components need to be included to ensure good learning experience, student satisfaction, and good learner performance. According to Chickering and Gamson (1987, 1991), incorporating the Principles of Best Practice in Education assists educators to implement quality teaching activities and improve student learning.
As a component of the simulation model (Jeffries, 2005), those educational practices are considered very important in the implementation of simulations in the students’ learning environment. To measure this component, the Educational Practices in Simulation Scale (EPSS) was developed. The EPSS is a 16-item tool that the learner completes after a simulation.
This tool measures whether the best practices in education, according to Chickering and Gamson (1987), are being used in the simulation. All seven educational practices in simulation are being evaluated; However, after conducting a factor analysis on the scale, four factors were identified and several of the factors were collapsed into these four components of the scale.
Therefore, the elements being evaluated in the EPSS are active learning, diverse ways of learning, high expectations, and collaboration. The questionnaire was tested for validity and reliability. Content validity was established through a review by nine nursing experts. The coefficient alpha was 0.92
Evaluation of Learning Outcomes While Using Simulation
As discussed previously, learning outcomes can be measured through low-stakes and high-stakes simulations. Outcomes are defined for the learning activity and can be measured by a well-designed clinical simulation. Research in this area is growing as educators measure the outcomes of the simulation activity desiring to close the knowledge and skills gap within academia and practice.
Some instruments available for evaluation include the Laseter Clinical Judgment Rubric (Laseter, 2007) and the Seattle University Evaluation Tool, and the Creighton Evaluation Instrument (Hayden, Keegan, Kardong -Edgren, & Smiley, 2014). Limited valid and reliable grading checklists for the evaluation of high-stakes simulation exist.
Scoring checklists are an emerging area of research in simulation pedagogy that have been developed and tested for validity and reliability; an example is a checklist for use during perioperative emergency simulation training (McEvoy et al., 2014). Evaluation tools for clinical simulation training are evolving.
Simulation Use In Short
Educators use simulations to enhance learning outcomes and promote safe patient care environments. Nursing organizations, commissions of higher education, accrediting bodies, academic institutions, and schools of nursing are seeking answers to questions about simulation design and development, teaching and learning practices, implementation processes, and associated learning outcomes.
Educators and researchers must join forces to develop more rigorous research studies testing simulation outcomes. National, multisite simulation studies by nurse educators are currently being conducted to enhance understanding of the educational usefulness of nursing simulations.
For example, when simulations are used as a teaching learning intervention, are learning outcomes improved? When developing a simulation, what are the important design features of a well-executed simulation in nursing education? How can simulations be used to prepare for or replace clinical experience? How does the use of simulations contribute to advancing nursing into the next generation?
Educators need to make certain they are informed about the possibilities of simulations, their usefulness in enhancing student education, and the progress of educational research efforts conducted to develop and test new models of using simulation in nursing education.