What is Immersive learning?
Having a limited understanding of AR, VR & MR, I signed up for GMS5312 Immersive Learning course expecting to see some of the most up-to-date and coolest technology in AR, VR & MR and how it can be aligned to learning. Things turned out slightly different.
The hands-on VR experience (courtesy of Duke-NUS’s simulation lab) was honestly not impressive. I disliked using the controllers to manipulate finger movements to move things around. Instead, I much preferred one of the demos Prof Lu showed where he was able to use his fingers to manipulate controls in the VR space. That was way more intuitive. He also showed an AR demo LIVE during class, much to the amusement of my course mates. VR hardware and software demo aside, this course got me to rethink the use of technology in teaching and learning.
Definitions and Context
To align everyone’s expectations, Prof. LU spent considerable time to explain the importance of definitions and context. I agree with his recommended definitions of Learning [1], “A process that leads to change, which occurs as a result of experience.” and Immersion [2], “The extent of engagement a user experiences that affects presence” and intend to use them as a guide to help create an immersive experience for our learners.
Prof. LU also introduced us to the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) & the PEST framework. New tools added to my technology understanding toolkit! In fact, I liked PEST so much that I created an infographic.
Technology is not a panacea!
Prof LU Weiquan lamented that he had seen so many white elephants during his career. If only they spent more time thinking through the issues and planning, all that time, effort and money would not be wasted. No wonder he kept reminding the class to always focus on the learning first, never the technology.
“Whatever you think technology can do, it can. But you should never look at your use case from a technology angle. Rather, identify the root cause of the problem. Who are the key stakeholders and how does this issue matter to them?”
If the use case is strong enough, i.e., the problem itself is worth solving (likely it will bring about significant time savings, cost savings or greatly enhances patient safety) then we investigate what technologies can be used to fix that problem. And of course, having the right network to bridge the right connections (to developers, IT, etc.) never hurts!
Is it worth the effort?
Without a clear problem statement, it is difficult to quantify improvements and ROI. Do you even know what you are getting into?
Before we even consider the use of AR, VR & MR, does the problem really require such immersive technology to solve? Should we even be looking at Immersive Technology?
Creating immersive learning sounds fun and interesting but it entails so much work. Just the mapping of the sequences in your storyboard could take days (my course mate Cigy can relate!).
In addition, we need to learn software for wireframing (e.g., Figma), have completed root cause analysis, have knowledge on game design, graphic design, video editing and some programming. This knowledge helps when we eventually partner with the actual developers (vendors/ IHiS). Not forgetting that it’s also useful to understand the political underpinnings of how healthcare finance and Synapxe (formerly known as IHiS) work.
VR, AR, or MR would enhance learning [4] but is not a prerequisite. Instead, a thoughtful analysis and design into what makes a good learning experience is key. With advances in technologies such as Generative AI, we can now save time and effort in the creation of digital artefacts. Combined with multimedia principles [3] we can greatly enhance our chances of creating an instructionally sound, yet immersive learning experience.
Key takeaways
I always enjoy learning and sharing new ideas picked up from the more interesting courses. My key takeaways from GMS5312 are:
1. How to evaluate an “Immersive Experience” Three factors, namely Engagement, Experience and Presence can be used:
“Engagement”; how engaged and involved the learner feels. As an educator, it’s our responsibility to help create an environment that supports engagement.
“Experience”; a well-crafted story that gets you emotionally involved, influences your perception, and enhances your “experience”. Combined with appropriate lighting and sound effects in the VR world can elevate your entire experience.
“Presence”; the ability to interact with the environment affects our feeling of “Presence”. A promising new wave is how video games are starting to use AI to give NPCs personality, which in turn give us another layer of interaction within these virtual worlds.
2. Immersion is not learning!
Immersion can be done without expensive technology.
Recall the time you were fully captivated while reading your favourite book? You were so involved with the story that you lost track of time! In fact, we should all cut down social media and go pick up a book...
3. PEST framework Want to increase your success in winning grants? Use PEST!
Political; having to only use a selected pool of approved vendors.
Economic; limitations due to privacy of test pool data
Social-cultural; knowing your user base behaviour, community norms. One needs to live through it to truly understand it.
Technology; this should always be a last resort. Read the scientific papers, gain more knowledge of who has already attempted before you fully commit. No white elephants!
To apply this new knowledge, I deconstructed a “surgical simulation” project that I worked on (with Dr Myint Oo) back in TTSH, 2019. After taking apart and reassembling the whole project, I was surprised at how much more massive the whole project (if done right) actually was. My team somehow managed to stumble through and create a working prototype. Kudos to the 3 amazing interns and a super supportive PI in Dr Mynt Oo. However, without a sustainability plan, it never went beyond the pilot study [5]. What a pity.
OK, Immersive Learning is not just about the technology behind AR, VR & MR. Now, what?
In my current role as a Blended Learning Enabler, I work with NUS faculty (and sometimes students) to create instructional materials for their blended learning courses. Armed with these new insights, how feasible is it to introduce Immersive Learning as a method of teaching?
How do we get students to be more engaged? What is the right ratio of blending (in-person vs online instruction/ interaction) to give our students an optimal learning experience?
To evaluate this, I used the newly minted PEST infographic (see above).
Political - How do we motivate our faculty to take a leap of faith? Can this motivation be from ground up rather than top-down?
Economic - How much can we do with available resources? Do the faculty even know the full extent of resources available within NUS (E.g., NUS library's 360 iMax room)? What’s the optimal ratio of time, money and effort involved in implementing technology-driven immersive learning?
Social-Cultural - Are our faculty ready to tap on the affordances of this technology? Are our faculty willing to invest time and effort to redesign their teaching to leverage on immersive learning?
Technological - Do we know the current state of education technology? How much has the landscape changed due to AI? (E.g., using ChatGPT to help create lesson plans, draft assessment questions, virtual study buddy, etc.)
These questions are not easily answered but it's a good framework to get us to think about them more deeply. That will be another blog post for another time...
In conclusion, this workshop gave me new insights and some new friends. HPE has expanded my network of healthcare educators who are keen in technology enhanced learning.
Look forward to learning more from everyone in the next course “GMS5313 Serious Games: Application in Healthcare”!
30 Sep 2023
Benedict CHIA
References
Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M.W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M.C., Norman, M.K. 2010. How Learning Works. The Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education Series. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons: [1, p.3, p.221-222]
Cypress, B. S., Caboral-Stevens, M. 2022. “Sense of Presence” in Immersive Virtual Reality Environment. Dimens Crit Care Nurs. 2022;41(5):235-245.
Mayer, R. E. (2010). Applying the science of learning to medical education. Medical Education, 44(6), 543–549. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010.03624.x
Gallagher AG, Ritter EM, Champion H, et al. Virtual reality simulation for the operating room: proficiency-based training as a paradigm shift in surgical skills training. Ann Surg. 2005; 241(2):364-372. doi:10.1097/01.sla.0000151982.85062.80.
Oo AM, Vallabhajosyula R. Perceived effectiveness of an innovative mobile-based serious game on the improvement of soft skills in minimally invasive surgical training. Asian J Endosc Surg. 2023;16(1): 41‐49. doi:10.1111/ases.13115
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