Global collaboration and team-building through 3D virtual environments

Abstract

Certain aspects of healthcare education are difficult to teach in real world environments or in isolated classroom settings. These include, but are not limited to, collaboration and interdisciplinary teamwork skills that are necessary for improved team performance and patient care outcomes. Virtual simulation is a growing field for training and continuous professional development activities and is conducive to local and international clinical training and collaborative projects. The authors examine theories of collaboration applied to virtual worlds, along with case studies, to demonstrate virtual simulation's applicability to a variety of teaching environments. In addition, virtual environments have applications to interprofessional healthcare training and team formation. International partnerships for education can benefit from using virtual environments to foster team-building activities without geographic boundaries. Virtual environments have been instrumental in the growth and sustainability of international networks of educators and, when feasible, should be utilized as a tool for the development of international partnerships.