This study investigates senior high school students’ attitudes toward the use of computer simulations in the teaching and learning of genetics in Ghana. Grounded in constructivist learning theory and technological integration frameworks, the research explores how interactive simulations particularly those from PhET Interactive Simulations enhance conceptual understanding, engagement, and motivation in genetics education. Employing a mixed-method descriptive survey design, data were collected from 104 SHS Biology students through questionnaires and focus group interviews. Principal Component Analysis revealed four dominant attitudinal dimensions: positive and proactive, analytic and experiential, enthusiastic and visual, practical and engaging. Quantitative findings indicated a high overall mean score (M = 3.71, SD = 0.073), reflecting strong student agreement with the benefits of simulation-based instruction. Qualitative insights further affirmed students’ enthusiasm, citing improved comprehension, visual clarity, and increased interest in genetics. Teachers also reported reduced instructional burden and enhanced student performance. The study concludes that computer simulations are a powerful pedagogical tool capable of transforming genetics education in resource-constrained contexts, provided infrastructural and training barriers are addressed.

The effect of moulage supported standardised patient simulation on nursing students' self-efficacy and clinical practice attitudes towards pressure injuries: A randomised controlled study.

Experiences of international nursing students in simulation-based education: A descriptive qualitative study

The influence of workplace experience and professional education on enhancing empathy among doctors, nurses and healthcare students: A comparative cross-sectional study.

Impact of simulation-based education on pediatric and medical-surgical nursing education: A meta-analysis

Intraoperative code status: Moving from misinformation to respect for patient autonomy.

Safe management of deteriorating patients requires the specialty skills of multiple disciplines working together, otherwise known as interprofessional practice. Teamwork and interprofessional practice competencies are necessary for interprofessional practice, yet acute care settings continue to primarily offer siloed discipline-specific continuing education. Simulation-based interprofessional education provides healthcare professionals with the opportunity to engage in interprofessional practice, build relationships within the team, and improve communication and teamwork skills across multidisciplinary teams. A pre-posttest study was designed using the Jefferson Teamwork Observation Guide to evaluate the effectiveness of simulation-based interprofessional education on teamwork functionality. Healthcare professionals' observations of interprofessional practice competencies were measured pre- and post-immersive mixed reality deteriorating patient scenarios. Nurses, allied health, and medical officers working in four wards within an acute healthcare setting were invited to participate in the study. From 124 participants, data analysis of 52 post-intervention, matched pairs revealed a statistically significant increase in the overall JTOG score at post-intervention (p = < .001), with a moderate effect size (d = .37). Median scores showed an increase from pre- to post-intervention for all disciplines; however, statistically significant increase in the overall Jefferson Teamwork Observation Guide score (p = .001) was only found for the discipline of nursing. Statistically significant increases were also found for the nursing discipline across four subscales: roles and responsibilities (p = .013), communication (p = < .001), values and ethics (p = < .001), and teamwork (p = .004), with moderate effect sizes. The results from this study provide evidence that an interprofessional education program using immersive mixed reality technology can positively influence nurses' interprofessional practice competencies to identify, escalate, and manage the deteriorating patient. Further research is required to explore the impact on allied health and improve engagement with medical officers.

Background Anaesthesia and critical care operate in high-risk, time-sensitive environments where clinical errors can have catastrophic consequences. Traditional apprenticeship-based training is increasingly constrained by ethical, legal, and patient safety considerations. Simulation-based education has emerged as a solution, enabling experiential learning without patient harm while supporting competency-based training and assessment. Methodology This narrative review synthesizes existing literature on simulation-based learning in anaesthesia and intensive care. It examines the historical evolution of simulation, its classification (low- to high-fidelity, deterministic vs stochastic, static vs dynamic), and major simulation modalities, including part-task trainers, standardized patients, virtual reality platforms, and high-fidelity physiological mannequins. Educational applications, assessment roles, and key instructional elements such as debriefing and fidelity are critically analysed. Results Evidence consistently demonstrates that simulation-based training improves technical performance, crisis management, communication, and adherence to safety protocols, particularly for rare but life-threatening events such as airway emergencies, cardiac arrest, and malignant hyperthermia. Structured debriefing emerges as a stronger determinant of learning outcomes than simulator fidelity alone. However, high implementation costs, faculty training requirements, and imperfect replication of real-world clinical complexity remain significant limitations. Conclusion Simulation is an indispensable component of modern anaesthesia and critical care education, enhancing patient safety, team performance, and clinical competence. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence–driven adaptive simulation and tele-simulation offer promising avenues to improve accessibility, personalization, and scalability of training. Strategic integration of simulation with real-world clinical exposure is essential to maximize educational and patient care impact.

What is the educational challenge? Healthcare emergencies are common and heterogenous, but conceptually poorly defined in health professions education. This gap was highlighted while developing educational materials for medical students and newly qualified doctors learning to manage healthcare emergencies. We found no existing comprehensive framework to describe the nature of emergencies for educational and other purposes. What are the proposed solutions? We propose the Predictability-Urgency-Scale-Harm (PUSH) model, a multidimensional taxonomy that characterises healthcare emergencies by predictability (fully to unpredictable), urgency (pressing to immediate), scale (individual to population) and harm (none to severe). This adapts the WHO definition of emergencies to clinical practice and goes beyond existing one-dimensional acuity or triage scales. What are the potential benefits to a wider global audience? The PUSH model can be used by educators and clinicians to design and debrief simulation scenarios, map learners’ real-life emergency exposure, and support shared mental models of emergencies in healthcare teams. It can enhance research design and comparability of studies. Other benefits include being low-cost, requiring no technology and applicability in both high- and low-resource settings. What are the next steps? Future work will refine the PUSH model through expert consensus and evaluate reliability, usability and educational impact when applied to clinical incidents and simulation-based education.

Introduction: Ophthalmoscopy is a key component of both neurological and general medical examinations, yet medical students consistently report low confidence and competence in performing the skill. Newly qualified doctors are expected to perform direct ophthalmoscopy with indirect supervision, yet opportunities for students to develop this skill are often limited due to reduced ophthalmology teaching and limited access to suitable patients. Simulation-based education has emerged as a valuable adjunct to clinical teaching, providing opportunities for deliberate practice, feedback, and safe skill acquisition. This study evaluated the educational impact of the Eyesi Direct Ophthalmoscopy simulator (Haag-Streit Group, Köniz, Switzerland) on medical students' confidence and perceived competence in fundoscopy.Methods: 122 undergraduate medical students from the University of Dundee (fourth-year medical students and third-year ScotGEM students) attended a two-hour ophthalmology workshop in groups of four to eight. Each session incorporated a short teaching component followed by hands-on practice using the Eyesi simulator. Students examined simulated patients with normal fundi and various pathological findings, including swollen optic discs, central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO), and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Immediate feedback was provided by facilitators, allowing for guided, deliberate practice. After the sessions, participants were invited to complete an anonymous online questionnaire assessing perceived confidence, learning effectiveness, and engagement, accessed via QR code or email link. Participation was voluntary, and feedback was collected anonymously.Results: All 122 students provided feedback. Feedback indicated that 98% of students felt confident performing ophthalmoscopy under supervision after training. One hundred percent reported increased competence in fundoscopy, and 100% recommended integration of simulator training into the undergraduate curriculum. Qualitative feedback highlighted realism, repeated practice without patient discomfort, and the value of immediate visual feedback from facilitators who could observe the same fundus view. Conclusion: The Eyesi simulator offers an effective and engaging method for teaching ophthalmic examination skills to undergraduate medical students. By combining realistic visualisation, varied pathology exposure, and immediate feedback, the simulator fosters confidence and diagnostic competence while reducing the anxiety often associated with clinical fundoscopy. Integrating simulator-based teaching into undergraduate curricula aligns with General Medical Council (GMC) outcomes and addresses key educational challenges in ophthalmology. The results support wider adoption of virtual reality simulation as a core component of undergraduate ophthalmology training.

Building collaborative prescribers: development and analysis of a novel simulation-based role exchange education programme between pharmacy and medical students.

Background Simulation-based education (SBE) is increasingly used in training students in allied healthcare, yet data on its role in United States (U.S.) perfusion programs are limited. This study surveyed perfusion programs with the purpose to assess simulation use, curricular integration, challenges, and future directions. Methods A 22-question validated survey was distributed via REDCap to all 23 perfusion programs directors in the U.S. between March and April 2025. Questions addressed demographics, simulation infrastructure, curricular integration, challenges, and future directions. Results The response rate was 100%. All programs use at least one simulation modality and 82.6% use high-fidelity simulation. Most programs (69.6%) fully embed simulation into credit-bearing courses, and 73.9% grade student performance. 60.9% of programs report that they have a dedicated simulation space. 56.5% report a lack of a dedicated budget. Common challenges identified were time constraints (73.9%) and limited faculty manpower (65.2%). While all programs teach adult CPB using simulation, the incorporation of pediatric CPB, ECMO and IABP simulation is less common. Conclusion SBE is widely adopted in perfusion programs across the U.S., but standardization, faculty training, and curricular integration is necessary to optimize its impact.

In the UK, new medical graduates frequently feel underprepared in managing acutely unwell patients. Clinical experiential learning gained, can be opportunistic and variable. Simulation-based medical education (SBME) has previously been shown to improve preparedness for practice. At Imperial College London, a half day high-fidelity simulation course for final year students during their pre-foundation assistantship (PFA) placement was set up focusing on the assessment and management of acutely unwell patients including appropriate escalation and use of the adult life support algorithm. Using student self-reported questionnaires, this study aimed to explore if there was any added value in implementing a high-fidelity simulation in preparing PFA students for Foundation Year 1 (FY1) training and to identify factors influencing effectiveness. Pre-session and post-session questionnaires completed by students demonstrated an improvement in self-reported confidence and preparedness for practice. Median confidence in diagnosing and managing medical emergencies, using the Advanced Life Support algorithm and managing an acute medical event all improved by 1 point on a 5-point Likert scale. Students also felt more prepared for Foundation training, with median preparedness improving by 1 point. Key themes from student questionnaires suggested hands-on learning, debriefing and faculty continuity were beneficial aspects of the course. High fidelity simulation delivered in the pre-foundation period improved the self-reported confidence and preparedness of students for practice, aligning with previous research supporting the effectiveness of SBME to improve preparedness for practice. It adds to existing literature regarding the added value of SBME incorporation during the pre-foundation period and which features optimise the simulation learning environment.

Comparison of the observer role vs. active participant role in interprofessional simulation-based education for affective skills: a randomized-controlled trial.

Interprofessional simulation-based education (IPSE) holds the potential to prepare healthcare students to handle the complexity of healthcare. However, complexity and resilience are traditionally not addressed deliberately in IPSE. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of resilience-focused debriefing (RFD) that addresses complexity and resilience, on reflection and teamwork in IPSE for pre-graduate healthcare students. In a convergent mixed methods intervention study, 149 nursing and medical students in their last semester participated in a full-day IPSE course with five progressively challenging scenarios. Fifteen facilitators were instructed to use RFD. Qualitative date, comprised of transcripts from nine debriefings, were analysed using topic analysis. An intervention check was performed to assess the use of RFD. Quantitative data comprised pre-post ratings of team performance in videorecorded scenarios (1 and 5) from 18 groups using the Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM). Additionally, a study-specific rating scale was employed to assess the extent of participants' perceived challenges during scenarios. RFD helped facilitators to guide the students' attention to the complexity of teamwork and how to manage such complex situations successfully by adapting crisis resource management principles and performing resilient actions (e.g., attunement, adaptive leadership), both as individuals and as teams. Applying RFD brought the students' attention to how they were able to succeed despite the difficulties they encountered. Although the assessed team performance was on an acceptable level, students initially had difficulties in recognizing and learning from actions that led to successful outcomes. The significant decrease in the degree of challenges experienced suggests that students developed a greater tolerance for complexity. Nevertheless, the quantitative data showed that there was no pre-post difference in team performance as assessed by TEAM. RFD can be used to increase healthcare students' attention to the complexity of interprofessional teamwork in acute dynamic situations and help them recognize and learn from both successful actions and overcoming challenging situations. Although we did not find a significant gain in team performance, the integrated results suggest that RFD may potentially improve interprofessional teamwork. Further research is warranted to develop instruments measuring team performance that are sensitive to various aspects of resilience, as well as to deepen the understanding of RFD in the simulation-based education.

Simulation-based medical education (SBME) has rapidly emerged as a new trend in perioperative medical education in China. However, our understanding of the role and impact of SBME on medical education remains limited. This study surveyed medical educators, including administrators, instructors, and learners, to evaluate perioperative SBME by identifying its advantages and disadvantages. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in 2024, involving administrators, instructors, and learners from medical education institutes across China. The survey included a structured questionnaire focused on perioperative SBME with information regarding participant characteristics, their attitudes, and perceived teaching obstacles. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the current status of perioperative SBME, and logistic regression analysis helped identify factors potentially affecting learners' satisfaction with the program. A total of 1411 survey respondents, including 274 administrative staff, 285 course instructors, 681 learners, and 250 others, participated in our study. Among administrators, 81.8% believed that SBME was crucial for perioperative medical training, emphasizing its role in enhancing trainees' clinical skills and decision-making abilities. Key challenges identified by administrators and instructors included insufficient training space, simulation models, and faculty. Administrators advocated for increased investment in simulation resources (88.7%) and faculty development (84.3%). Instructors stressed the importance of enhanced faculty training (92.6%), implementing standardized training protocols (69.1%), and increasing the proportion of simulation-based teaching (68.1%). Learners recommended optimizing teaching schedules (65.9%) and improving simulation methods (64.2%). Notably, SBME implementation varied across different regions in China, especially in tertiary hospitals, where medical institutes in Southern and Eastern China run more SBME programs. Perioperative SBME development has progressed in China, but faces imbalances across different institutions. Furthermore, the availability of qualified instructors, equipment, and financial investment still need to be addressed. This study provides a foundation for the continued advancement of SBME. However, as participation was voluntary and response rates could not be calculated, results may not be fully generalizable. These findings nonetheless provide an evidence base for national strategies to standardize and expand simulation-based perioperative education in China.

BackgroundEarly clinical training in undergraduate medical education often occurs in unstructured environments, limiting student participation and competency development. The SimZones framework offers a progressive approach to simulation-based education, yet evidence for its implementation in first-year medical students remains limited.ObjectiveTo describe the design, implementation, and outcomes of a structured clinical simulation program for first-year medical students using the SimZones framework.MethodsA descriptive study with mixed-methods analysis was conducted in 2024 with 116 first-year medical students at a Chilean medical school. Students participated in structured Zone 1 simulation activities throughout the academic year in small groups (5-6 students), using 12 validated assessment instruments developed and validated by a multidisciplinary expert panel comprising 202 specific procedural steps including 30 critical safety steps. Activities focused on technical, communication, and attitudinal skills with study guides, pre-tests, and formative rubrics. The program culminated with a Zone 2 integrative activity simulating primary care consultations using standardized patients, clinical documentation, and faculty debriefing using the Plus/Delta model. Performance was assessed using standardized rubrics, and qualitative observations were analyzed thematically.ResultsAll 116 students completed the program. High performance was observed in attitudinal competencies (≥97%) and communication domains (≥89%), while technical skills showed variable achievement rates (range 63%-78%). Qualitative analysis identified strengths in empathy, professionalism, and teamwork, with areas for improvement in procedural technique, interview sequencing, and time management.ConclusionsEarly progressive simulation using the SimZones framework effectively develops foundational competencies in first-year medical students. The structured approach, combining deliberate practice with formative assessment and guided debriefing, supports competency-based medical education objectives while identifying specific areas requiring additional reinforcement in technical skill training.

This article presents a reflective and practice-based analysis of the Model United Nations (Model UN) and Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Project at Birmingham City University, highlighting their role as an innovative approach to human rights education within legal studies. Against the backdrop of ongoing debates about curriculum reform and experiential learning in UK legal education, the article examines how simulation-based teaching methods can enhance students’ engagement with international human rights law, diplomacy, and accountability. Drawing on pedagogical theory and critical reflection, it explores the project’s design, intended learning outcomes, and potential to foster legal and civic competencies such as critical thinking, advocacy, and global awareness. It argues that initiatives such as Model UN and the UPR Project enable law students to move beyond abstract legal theory toward practical, values-based learning, preparing them for roles as globally aware, socially conscious legal professionals. The article concludes with recommendations for embedding experiential learning into the human rights curriculum as a strategy to enhance student engagement, civic literacy, and the professional relevance of legal education.

Background: Medical education has shifted from teacher-centered instruction to learner-centered approaches that emphasize participation, collaboration, and reflection. Within this context, formative assessment, focused on continuous feedback and learning progression, has been proposed as a key driver of self-regulated learning (SRL), an essential competency for medical training. Objective: To synthesize evidence on how formative assessment practices embedded in active learning methodologies influence SRL among medical students. Methods: An Integrative Literature Review (ILR) was conducted using the PICo framework. Searches in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and SciELO (2015–2025) used controlled descriptors (DeCS/MeSH). Eligible studies were original full-text articles in English, Portuguese, or Spanish addressing formative assessment within active learning and its effects on SRL. The review followed PRISMA procedures, and study designs were classified using the Joanna Briggs Institute hierarchy. Results: Twelve studies met inclusion criteria, comprising qualitative, quasi-experimental, mixed-methods, and instrument-development designs. Across problem-based, team-based, simulation-based education and OSCE contexts, formative strategies such as structured feedback, self-assessment, peer assessment, portfolios, and rubric-guided evaluation were linked to improvements in goal setting, metacognitive monitoring, reflective practice, autonomy, and feedback literacy. Common limitations included small samples, varied formative practices, and limited longitudinal evidence. Conclusion: Formative assessment integrated into active learning enhances SRL by promoting metacognition, autonomy, and continuous improvement. Programs should prioritize dialogic and timely feedback and adopt reflective tools to scaffold self-monitoring. Further longitudinal research, particularly in clinical settings, is needed to consolidate evidence on sustained SRL development.

Simulation-based education is widely used in nursing and medical education, but its use in physical therapy education remains inconsistent. The International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning developed standardised benchmarks to measure good simulation and provide evidence-based guidelines for implementation. These Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice (HSSOBP), particularly the prebrief, are often underutilised. Prebriefing promotes a psychologically safe learning environment and sets clear expectations, which are linked to improved student learning and confidence. This project aimed to develop, implement and evaluate a standardised prebrief aligned with HSSOBP across three Doctor of Physical Therapy programs. Faculty from three academic institutions collaborated to design a standardised prebrief adapted for their simulation-based learning experiences (SBLEs). Students completed the Simulation Effectiveness Tool-Modified after participating in SBLEs to assess impact. A total of 165 students participated across five SBLEs. Of those, 98% agreed prebrief improved their confidence and supported learning. Open-ended feedback reinforced that it contributed to a positive and productive simulation experience. The standardised prebrief framework is adaptable across institutions and health professions, offering a practical, scalable approach to improve readiness, confidence and learning while promoting consistency and safer patient care. Standardised prebriefing is a practical approach to improving simulation-based education. It promotes consistency while allowing flexibility to fit local needs. Core elements are relevant across health professions. This model offers a replicable framework for educators aiming to strengthen simulation outcomes. Future research should explore its long-term impact on learning and clinical performance.