Article
Preparing Graduate Students for Virtual World Simulations: Exploring the Potential of an Emerging Technology
Innovate: Journal of Online Education
(2009)
Abstract
Anne M. Hewitt, Susan Spencer, Danielle Mirliss, and Riad Twal report on a collaborative team initiative to create a virtual world emergency preparedness simulation that focuses on crisis and emergency risk communication (CERC). CERC is a key competency for students enrolled in Seton Hall University's (SHU) Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) on-campus and on-line programs. Historically, skill-building scenarios designed to teach emergency preparedness have used a tabletop exercise format but no virtual counterpart has been available for online students. Realizing a need to provide online students with the same learning opportunities offered to on-campus students, Hewitt, Spencer, Mirliss, and Twal designed and implemented a virtual tabletop exercise for online MHA students. Their work suggests that a virtual world can provide an engaging, learning-intensive alternative to face-to-face scenario exercises. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)
Keywords
- College Students,
- Computer Simulation,
- Crisis Management,
- distance education,
- electronic learning,
- Emergency Programs,
- Graduate students,
- higher education,
- Learning Activities,
- On Campus Students,
- online courses,
- Synchronous Communication,
- Virtual Classrooms
Disciplines
Publication Date
June, 2009
Citation Information
Anne Hewitt, Susan Spencer, Danielle Mirliss and Riad Twal. "Preparing Graduate Students for Virtual World Simulations: Exploring the Potential of an Emerging Technology" Innovate: Journal of Online Education Vol. 5 Iss. 6 (2009) ISSN: 1552-3233 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/anne-hewitt/1/