Workplace Simulation Research Articles

Using Case Study Approach in Business English Courses for China’s English Major Undergraduates

This study reports an investigative study of using case study approach in business English teaching in the Chinese university context. The research instruments used were survey questionnaires containing both ratings and open-ended questions, which were administered to 127 English major undergraduates at the beginning and end of the Business English course. The study results showed that the case study approach was challenging, due to the participants’ perceived difficulty in putting theory into practice, insufficient vocabulary, difficulty in understanding and analyzing cases and limited communication skills in presentation and writing. The preferred business English cases ranged from business communication cases such as negotiation, writing, conference to cases relevant to business functions such as marketing, import and export. It is suggested that the case study approach should integrate communicative methodologies. Workplace simulations, case introduction and analysis, role plays in the classrooms and workplace placements with external support should also be used to make connections to the workplace. Audiovisual materials and memorizing dialogues and conversations were the preferred learning methods. Moreover, case introductions, company information and video clips should be provided in the classroom. Internships, field trips and data collection and other learning practices are suggested for post-course practice. Participants’ familiar company cases are the most impressive and they have improved business communicative competence comprehensively. The results of the study may inform business English teaching and the theory and practice of curriculum development in both Chinese and international settings.

Fire in operating theatres: DaSH-ing to the rescue.

Operating theatres are dynamic environments that require multi professional team interactions. Effective team working is essential for efficient delivery of safe patient care. A fire in the operating theatre is a rare but potentially life threatening event for both patients and staff. A rapid and cohesive response from theatre and allied staff including porters, fire safety officer etc is paramount. We delivered a training session that utilised in situ simulation (simulation in workplace). After conducting needs analysis, learning objectives were agreed. After thorough planning, the date and location of the training session were identified. Contingency plans were put in place to ensure that patient care was not compromised at any point. To ensure success, checklists for faculty were devised and adhered to. A medium fidelity manikin with live monitoring was used. The first part of the scenario involved management of a surgical emergency by theatre staff. The second part involved management of a fire in the operating theatre while an emergency procedure was being undertaken. To achieve maximum learning potential, debriefing was provided immediately after each part of the scenario. A fire safety officer was present as a content expert. Latent errors (hidden errors in the workplace, staff knowledge etc) were identified. Malfunctioning of theatre floor windows and staff unawareness about the location of an evacuation site were some of the identified latent errors. Thorough feedback to address these issues was provided to the participants on the day. A detailed report of the training session was given to the relevant departments. This resulted in the equipment faults being rectified. The training session was a very positive experience and helped not only in improving participants' knowledge, behaviour and confidence but also it made system and environment better equipped.

Audit workplace simulations as a methodology to increase undergraduates’ awareness of competences

ABSTRACTThis paper describes an audit workplace simulation and investigates its effects on students’ perceptions of competences, required as important in the auditing industry. Within the competence-based teaching framework, this training activity involves cooperative learning as it combines first-undergraduate and senior students within one team. First, we explore how some key competences are initially appreciated by first-year students. Second, our research empirically assesses how the simulation modifies students’ awareness of those competences. Results of the pretest reveal that senior students’ awareness on key competences is higher than of first-undergraduate students. In particular, communication skills are initially not considered as relevant by the first-year students. Results of the posttest reveal that our intervention significantly improves first-undergraduates’ awareness of technical accounting knowledge and communication skills.

Improving medication practices for persons with intellectual and developmental disability: Educating direct support staff using simulation, debriefing, and reflection.

Direct support professionals (DSPs) are increasingly active in medication administration for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, thus supplementing nursing and family caretakers. Providing workplace training for DSPs is often the duty of nursing personnel. This article presents empirical data and design suggestions for including simulations, debriefing, and written reflective practice during in-service training for DSPs in order to improve DSPs' skills and confidence related to medication administration. Quantitative study results demonstrate that DSPs acknowledge that their skill level and confidence rose significantly after hands-on simulations. The skill-level effect was statistically significant for general medication management -4.5 (p < 0.001) and gastrointestinal medication management -4.4 (p < 0.001). Qualitative findings show a deep desire by DSPs to not just be "pill poppers" but to understand the medical processes, causalities, and consequences of their medication administration. On the basis of our results, the authors make recommendations regarding how to combine DSP workplace simulations and debriefing with written reflective practice in DSP continuing education.

Learning in Workplace Simulations in Vocational Education: a Student Perspective

In vocational education, workplace simulations (WPS) have been implemented to ensure a better connection between the educational setting and the labour market. Moreover, WPS are supposed to motivate students and promote self-directed learning. So far, however, not much is known about the way students experience these WPS. The aim of the present exploratory case study was to investigate students’ perceptions and preparedness for WPS and explore what factors they perceive to be relevant for their learning in these simulations. Forty students from three different pre-vocational secondary schools participated. Semi-structured group interviews were conducted and thematic analysis was used to examine the qualitative data. The results revealed that authentic WPS can increase student motivation and engagement. Learner characteristics regarded as relevant in WPS were motivation, responsibility, independence and discipline. For students, the presence and guidance of the teacher played an essential role in their working and learning effectively. They felt limited in making choices to direct their own learning. Assessment criteria were not transparent enough for students. Concluding, we found that students perceived factors closely related to self-regulated and self-directed learning to be relevant for their learning; however, these learning activities and processes have not yet been sufficiently promoted and supported in the investigated vocational schools. The study highlights design dilemmas for vocational practice and offers indications in how to match both learning environmental characteristics and teacher support tailored to learners’ needs.

Novice Medical Students Improve Knowledge and Comfort in EPA 10 After Early Simulated Clinical Experiences

The authors’ curricular goal was to develop, pilot, and evaluate an educational intervention designed to train incoming medical students on entrustable professional activity (EPA) 10, the recognition, and evaluation of a patient requiring emergent care. The authors hypothesized that this intervention would be feasible and acceptable to learners and would increase self-reported comfort with the functions of EPA 10. This was an observational, cross-sectional study of first-year medical students. Students completed a group introduction to EPAs followed by four low-fidelity simulation stations, including the following: (1) a case-based vital signs module, (2) a standardized patient encounter involving altered mental status after syncope, (3) a simulated trauma patient evaluation, and (4) a team-based learning scenario designed to teach and assess closed-loop communication when caring for a pulseless patient. The primary outcomes were feasibility, learner acceptability, and pre- and post-intervention learner comfort and knowledge. Descriptive statistics were calculated; Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to test for a significant difference in pre- and post-intervention responses. 147/147 responses were collected (100% response rate). This innovative curriculum was feasible to develop and implement. Students reported improvement in comfort in all EPA 10-related functions. Free-text comments revealed that learners enjoyed the simulation experience, felt safe in the training environment, and reported increased awareness of their roles and limitations as providers. In conclusion, novice medical students who completed early simulated clinical cases reported increased comfort with functions directly related to entrustment for EPA 10. This type of workplace simulation training was feasible to implement and well-received by learners.

Project Sanitarium: playing tuberculosis to its end game

Interdisciplinary and collaborative projects between industry and academia provide exceptional opportunities for learning. Project Sanitarium is a serious game for Windows PC and Tablet which aims to embed learning about tuberculosis (TB) through the player taking on the role of a doctor and solving cases across the globe. The project developed as a collaboration between staff and undergraduate students at the School of Arts, Media and Computer Games at Abertay University working with academics and researchers from the Infection Group at the University of St Andrews. The project also engaged industry partners Microsoft and DeltaDNA. The project aimed to educate students through a workplace simulation pedagogical model, encourage public engagement at events and through news coverage and lastly to prototype whether games could be used to simulate a virtual clinical trial. The project was embedded in the Abertay undergraduate programme where students are presented with real world problems to solve through design and technology. The result was a serious game prototype that utilized game design techniques and technology to demystify and educate players about the diagnosis and treatment of one of the world’s oldest and deadliest diseases, TB. Project Sanitarium aims to not only educate the player, but allows the player to become a part of a simulated drug trial that could potentially help create new treatments in the fight against TB. The game incorporates a mathematical model that is based on data from real-world drug trials. The interdisciplinary pedagogical model provides undergraduates with workplace simulation, wider industry collaboration and access to academic expertise to solve challenging and complex problems.

Reducing dust and allergen exposure in bakeries

Bakers have a continuing high incidence of occupational allergic asthma. In factory bakeries they are exposed not only to flour dust containing allergens, but also improvers whose ingredients enhance the strength and workability of the dough and its speed of rising. Improvers are flour-based but can contain added soya, fungal or bacterial enzymes that are also allergenic, as well as vegetable oil, calcium sulphate/silicate and organic esters. This study investigated the dustiness of the components used in factory bakeries and whether altering improver ingredients could reduce dust and allergen exposure. A standardised rotating drum test was employed on the individual components, as well as a representative improver and three practicable improver modifications by decreasing calcium sulphate, calcium silicate or increasing oil content. Levels of dust, the allergens wheat flour amylase inhibitor (WAAI) and soya trypsin inhibitor (STI) were measured in the generated inhalable, thoracic and respirable sized fractions. A “scooping and pouring” workplace simulation was also performed. Initial tests showed that dustiness of several wheat flours was relatively low, and even lower for soya flour, but increased in combination with some other improver components. All three improver modifications generally reduced levels of dust, STI and WAAI, but increasing oil content significantly decreased dust and STI in comparison to the standard improver and those improvers with reduced calcium silicate or sulphate. The simulation demonstrated that increased oil content reduced inhalable levels of gravimetric dust, STI and WAAI. Changing improver formulation, such as increasing oil content of flour by a small amount, may represent a simple, practical method of reducing bakery workers’ exposure to dust and allergens where improvers are used. It may be a useful adjunct to engineering control, changes to work practices and appropriate training in reducing the risk to bakers’ respiratory health.

Assessing Interprofessional Interactions of Primary Care Practitioner Trainees

The patient-centered medical home model is transforming the delivery of outpatient care, with improved quality of care, better patient experiences, and enhanced processes of care. However, teams of interprofessional health care workers have diverse viewpoints that occasionally present instances of miscommunication. In addition, few materials exist that provide potential assessments for graduate-level interprofessional trainees. We constructed an interprofessional objective structured clinical examination (IPOSCE) to assess patient-centered behaviors of nurse practitioner residents and third-year internal medicine residents. This IPOSCE comprises two phases. First, learners interact with a standardized patient with complex medical and psychosocial issues. Next, they engage in a series of stations with standardized interprofessional colleagues, each of whom is trained to deliver a non-patient-centered challenging line during their interaction. Trainees felt that the cases reasonably reflected their typical outpatient practices but had some concerns about logistics and thought the cases may have presented heightened communication challenges compared with typical practice. In sum, this IPOSCE workplace simulation successfully assessed communication skills of our resident trainees with standardized patients and standardized instructors in a realistic setting.

Workplace Simulation

In the redesign of a professional communication course for real estate students, a workplace simulation was implemented, spanning the entire 12-week duration of the course. The simulation was achieved through the creation of an online company presence, the infusion of communication typically encountered in the workplace, and an intensive and integrated approach to task design. An analysis of students’ and tutors’ perceptions of the changes shows higher student engagement, with the redesigned course resulting in learning that is both relevant and meaningful to workplace communication, which has implications for the teaching and learning of professional communication skills in higher education.

English communication skills for employability: the perspectives of employers in Bahrain

Whilst English remains the language of global commerce, the role and outcomes of English language provision in English-medium higher education institutions in the Arab Gulf countries remains central to any discussion on graduate profile and the employability of graduates in the global marketplace. This paper describes the findings of research into English workplace communication skills amongst a sample of Bahrain employers and students at Bahrain Polytechnic. Using a mixed methods approach, data was gathered through telephone interviews, student workplace simulations and employer focus groups. Findings show that generic employability skills, channelled through English as a second or additional language, are highly valued by Bahrain’s employers. In particular, students need to market themselves as confident, knowledgeable individuals during the recruitment process and after recruitment, continuing to operate successfully in the sociolinguistic culture of their company. Consequently, it is concluded that English language training in higher education programmes needs to move from purely linguistic and degree-related content areas to a broader remit of English for communication purposes that covers both specialised discourse fields and broader generic employability skills and competencies.

Client-Based Pedagogy Meets Workplace Simulation: Developing Social Processes in the Arisoph Case Study

Teaching problem: Immersive pedagogies—including real-world or client-based projects, case studies, and simulations—have long been used to encourage student problem-solving, analytical thinking, and teamwork in professional communication. Building a connection to the real world has real challenges, however, for both instructors and students. How can we better prepare students for their future careers in our technical communication courses? Situating the case: This paper draws on three areas in the literature to situate the Arisoph case study: First, we discuss the work that has been done with client-based projects and the problems and challenges researchers have found with incorporating these projects into the classroom. Second, we discuss a newer model of workplace simulations, particularly focusing on the work done by Fisher and Russell. Third, we discuss the psychological theories of attribution and reattribution, which provided a foundation for our development of the Arisoph case study. How this case was studied: This paper describes the development of the Arisoph case study, an online client-based simulation course designed for engineering students to learn and practice technical communication. Course development and collection of instructor and student responses took place from 2010 to 2014. About the case: This paper details the development and implementation of the Arisoph case study, which brought the workplace realities of a variety of engineering professions into a classroom filled with engineering majors. The Arisoph simulation was designed to manage student attribution and reattribution, particularly to help engineering students connect the principles and skills learned in technical communication courses with their future careers. The Arisoph case study is a full-semester simulation, where students apply for work in a fictional company and fulfill different roles on professional teams. Each assignment during the semester is situated in the context of the simulation. The major projects for the simulation, however, come from a real client in the engineering field. This unique combination of simulation and client-based projects provides students with greater opportunities for successful reattribution. Conclusions: Initial student reactions to the course show an increased understanding of workplace communication and a greater motivation to produce the best possible product for the client. We hope that long-term studies will show significant carryover of those attitudes into students' careers.

An assessment strategy for interprofessional interactions of primary care practitioner trainees

Abstract Effective communication between team members can enhance health care outcomes. Training practicing health professionals in interprofessional communication skills is widely recognized to be important, but the effect of training is challenging to evaluate. To address this gap, we describe an innovative Interprofessional Objective Structured Clinical Examination (IPOSCE) that we designed to investigate patient-centered behaviors of medical residents and nurse practitioner residents. Trainees first interacted with standardized patients (SPs), modeled after actual patients with chronic medical and complex psychosocial issues. Subsequently, trainees rotated through a series of stations with individual standardized interprofessional colleagues (SIs), who were coached to deliver a non-patient-centered “challenging line” within each interaction. In focus groups, trainees related that they felt that the IPOSCE was representative of their typical practices. Objective assessment of trainees' skills using a validated instrument demonstrated moderately- to highly-effective patient-centered communication during SP and SI interactions. In conclusion, this IPOSCE successfully assessed interactions of our graduate-level trainees with SPs and SIs in a high-fidelity workplace simulation setting. Future work will determine how the assessment correlates with actual practice.

Teachers’ Perceptions of Teaching in Workplace Simulations in Vocational Education

In a large-scale top-down innovation operation in the Netherlands, workplace simulations have been implemented in vocational schools, where students are required to work independently and self-direct their learning. However, research has shown that the success of such large-scale top-down innovations depends on how well their execution in schools matches the theoretical plans and goals. Given that teachers play a crucial role in translating innovative concepts to educational practice, their perceptions of teaching in these environments may provide useful information about how to best match the goals of workplace simulation to its execution. In this interview study, we therefore focussed on teachers’ views of designing instructional material and providing pedagogical guidance in workplace simulations. Twenty teachers belonging to six teams participated. The results reveal that teachers face difficulties on both aspects and it became clear that the top-down innovations influenced their daily practice. Old routines and spontaneous and immediate reactions determined much of the teachers’ approaches to implementation, and it appeared that they were not yet sufficiently prepared to help students develop metacognitive skills. Furthermore, self-regulation and self-direction among students are not sufficiently promoted and supported in workplace simulations. Teachers often experienced a deep conflict between maintaining control and letting go. Our results point out that teachers need to be supported and guided during the implementation process of any top-down innovation, so that they learn how to adjust their teaching to the new requirements of workplace simulations. It seems important to ensure that teachers are also well skilled for reflecting on their own practices.

Human biomonitoring of aluminium after a single, controlled manual metal arc inert gas welding process of an aluminium-containing worksheet in nonwelders.

Several existing field studies evaluate aluminium welding works but no thoroughly controlled exposure scenario for welding fume has been described yet. This study provides information about the uptake and elimination of aluminium from welding fumes under controlled conditions. In the Aachen Workplace Simulation Laboratory, we are able to generate welding fumes of a defined particle mass concentration. We exposed 12, until then occupationally unexposed participants with aluminium-containing welding fumes of a metal inert gas (MIG) welding process of a total dust mass concentration of 2.5 mg/m(3) for 6 h. Room air filter samples were collected, and the aluminium concentration in air derived. Urine and plasma samples were collected directly before and after the 6-h lasting exposure, as well as after 1 and 7 days. Human biomonitoring methods were used to determine the aluminium content of the samples with high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry. Urinary aluminium concentrations showed significant changes after exposure compared to preexposure levels (mean t(1) (0 h) 13.5 µg/L; mean t(2) (6 h) 23.5 µg/L). Plasma results showed the same pattern but pre-post comparison did not reach significance. We were able to detect a significant increase of the internal aluminium burden of a single MIG aluminium welding process in urine, while plasma failed significance. Biphasic elimination kinetic can be observed. The German BAT of 60 µg/g creatinine was not exceeded, and urinary aluminium returned nearly to baseline concentrations after 7 days.

Human biomonitoring of chromium and nickel from an experimental exposure to manual metal arc welding fumes of low and high alloyed steel.

The uptake and elimination of metals from welding fumes is currently not fully understood. In the Aachen Workplace Simulation Laboratory (AWSL) it is possible to investigate the impact of welding fumes on human subjects under controlled exposure conditions. In this study, the uptake and elimination of chromium or chromium (VI) respectively as well as nickel was studied in subjects after exposure to the emissions of a manual metal arc welding process using low or high alloyed steel. In this present study 12 healthy male non-smokers, who never worked as welders before, were exposed for 6h to welding fumes of a manual metal arc welding process. In a three-fold crossover study design, subjects were exposed in randomized order to either clean air, emissions from welding low alloyed steel, and emissions from welding high alloyed steel. Particle mass concentration of the exposure aerosol was 2.5mg m(-3). The content of chromium and nickel in the air was determined by analysing air filter samples on a high emission scenario. Urine analysis for chromium and nickel was performed before and after exposure using methods of human biomonitoring. There were significantly elevated chromium levels after exposure to welding fumes from high alloyed steel compared to urinary chromium levels before exposure to high alloyed welding fumes, as well as compared to the other exposure scenarios. The mean values increased from 0.27 µg l(-1) to 18.62 µg l(-1). The results were in good agreement with already existing correlations between external and internal exposure (German exposure equivalent for carcinogenic working materials EKA). The variability of urinary chromium levels was high. For urinary nickel no significant changes could be detected at all. Six-hour exposure to 2.5mg m(-3) high alloyed manual metal arc welding fumes lead to elevated urinary chromium levels far higher (7.11-34.16 µg l(-1)) than the German biological exposure reference value (BAR) of 0.6 µg l(-1) directly after exposure. On the other hand mean urinary nickel concentrations slightly increased, but did not exceed background levels due to lower bioavailability. We could underline with our single exposure experiment that a welding work related chromium exposure can be measured immediately after the work shift, while the same is not possible for nickel exposure due to lower nickel bioavailability. The data provide useful information for real occupational welding work places.

Experimental evidence for the effects of task repetitiveness on mental strain and objective work performance

SummaryPeople frequently have to work in high repetitive jobs. Previous research has focused exclusively on the effects of task repetitiveness on well‐being, while neglecting effects on work performance. In the present study, we aimed to fill this void by conducting two workplace simulations with experimental manipulations of task repetitiveness. Participants worked for about 5 hours at either a computer workstation, compiling computer hardware packages according to customer requests (Experiment 1, N = 160), or at an assembly line, piecing together equipment sets for furniture (Experiment 2, N = 213). Both experiments provide consistent evidence that high repetitiveness has a detrimental effect on well‐being, whereas work performance increases under conditions of high repetitiveness. On a practical level, our study hence shows that high task repetitiveness is a double‐edged sword for both employees and organizations. On a conceptual level, our findings emphasize the necessity to account for both mental strain and work performance when examining the effects of task repetitiveness. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Run simulation in your workplace

Effective simulation does not require a hightech simulation suite. Bringing simulation into the workplace allows learners to practice with their own colleagues using local equipment, at low cost and on a more regular basis.

The active learning hypothesis of the job–demand–control model: an experimental examination

The active learning hypothesis of the job–demand–control model [Karasek, R. A. 1979. “Job Demands, Job Decision Latitude, and Mental Strain: Implications for Job Redesign.” Administration Science Quarterly 24: 285–307] proposes positive effects of high job demands and high job control on performance. We conducted a 2 (demands: high vs. low) × 2 (control: high vs. low) experimental office workplace simulation to examine this hypothesis. Since performance during a work simulation is confounded by the boundaries of the demands and control manipulations (e.g. time limits), we used a post-test, in which participants continued working at their task, but without any manipulation of demands and control. This post-test allowed for examining active learning (transfer) effects in an unconfounded fashion. Our results revealed that high demands had a positive effect on quantitative performance, without affecting task accuracy. In contrast, high control resulted in a speed–accuracy tradeoff, that is participants in the high control conditions worked slower but with greater accuracy than participants in the low control conditions.

Assessment of the biological effects of welding fumes emitted from metal inert gas welding processes of aluminium and zinc-plated materials in humans

The aim of this study was to investigate biological effects and potential health risks due to two different metal-inert-gas (MIG) welding fumes (MIG welding of aluminium and MIG soldering of zinc coated steel) in healthy humans. In a threefold cross-over design study 12 male subjects were exposed to three different exposure scenarios. Exposures were performed under controlled conditions in the Aachener Workplace Simulation Laboratory (AWSL). On three different days the subjects were either exposed to filtered ambient air, to welding fumes from MIG welding of aluminium, or to fumes from MIG soldering of zinc coated materials. Exposure was performed for 6 h and the average fume concentration was 2.5 mg m(-3). Before, directly after, 1 day after, and 7 days after exposure spirometric and impulse oscillometric measurements were performed, exhaled breath condensate (EBC) was collected and blood samples were taken and analyzed for inflammatory markers. During MIG welding of aluminium high ozone concentrations (up to 250 μg m(-3)) were observed, whereas ozone was negligible for MIG soldering. For MIG soldering, concentrations of high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) and factor VIII were significantly increased but remained mostly within the normal range. The concentration of neutrophils increased in tendency. For MIG welding of aluminium, the lung function showed significant decreases in Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) and Mean Expiratory Flow at 75% vital capacity (MEF 75) 7 days after exposure. The concentration of ristocetin cofactor was increased. The observed increase of hsCRP during MIG-soldering can be understood as an indicator for asymptomatic systemic inflammation probably due to zinc (zinc concentration 1.5 mg m(-3)). The change in lung function observed after MIG welding of aluminium may be attributed to ozone inhalation, although the late response (7 days after exposure) is surprising.