Game-based learning for Virtual Patients in Second Life

Opportunities for building learning activities around real patients have decreased. Therefore, various forms of representative simulation have become an increasingly common alternative. Virtual patients has been one of the representative simulations developed to support the delivery of clinical teaching.

Game-based learning has been considered as a new way of delivering clinical teaching more suited to the new generation of ‘digital natives’ – ‘native speakers’ of the digital language of computers, video games, mobile phones, and the Internet.

Online Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVE) offer rich interactive 3D collaborative spaces where users can meet and interact. One example of such an environment is Second Life.

The Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London has developed a Virtual Hospital in Second Life that aims to design game-based learning activities for the delivery of virtual patients that can drive experiential, diagnostic, and role-play learning activities supporting patients’ diagnosis, investigation and treatment. 

The four-dimensional framework described by De Freitas and Martin (2006), plus the learning types described by Helmer (2007), as well as the different aspects of emergent narrative described by Murray (1997) have provided the basis for the design of these game-based learning activities for virtual patients under two different categories: context and learner specification, and narrative and modes of representation.

Phase I of this project focused on the delivery of a virtual patient in the area of Respiratory Medicine following a game-based learning model in Second Life. A pilot was carried out in March 2008 with 43 students. The feedback received has informed the development of Phase II which incorporates a multi-patient approach. Phase II will be released in August 2008. 

Eduserv - Virtual World Watch  - Surveying virtual world use in UK universities and colleges 

How can I access Second Life?

You would need to register in Second Life to be able to access our region and download the application. The link below will also take you directly into the island.
Teleport to the Virtual Hospital here!

If you would like to know more about this project and/or get access to our Second Life island contact us here.