Midwifery Education & Second Life

Sarah Stewart (Petal Stransky) 2012

Australian College of Midwives

sarah.stewart@midwives.org.auCreative Commons Attribution BY

Petal Stransky

Sarah Stewart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw-KL-lCesE

What does Second Life offer student midwives &

educators?

Authentic & immersive learning experiences

Safe place to explore clinical scenarios

Imaginative mode of presenting content & information

Access to international community of midwifery &

health educators & researchers

Access to communities of health care consumers

Cape Able Island, haven for deaf, hard of hearing & people with disabilities: http://virtualability.org/our_projects.aspx

Questions to ask?

Think about what you want to achieve – can it be better achieved another way?

What resources are already available in Second Life that you can use to reduce costs?

Who can you collaborate with to reduce costs?

How can you share what you develop in order to support other educators?

What about students who do not have access to Internet & computers?

Educational principles to follow

Don’t be ‘seduced’ by technology – keep pedagogy in mind all the time

Don’t lose sight of learning outcomes

Embed Second Life into curriculum

Design comprehensive orientation program

Allow students & staff time to ‘play’ to build confidence &

competence

What technology do you need?

• Decent Internet access

• Quality computers

• Headsets & microphones

• Knowledgeable IT support

• Supportive IT policies

Who do you need in your team?• Second Life developer/builder• Some one with experience of Second Life, how it

works & what can be achieved• Educational

designer• Faculty

champion/s

Second Life Education New ZealandVirtual Birthing Unit & Normal Birth Scenario

Resources

*http://slenz.wordpress.com• *http://wikieducator.org/The_virtual_birthing_unit_project

*On the MUVE or in decline: Reflecting on the sustainability of the Virtual Birth Centre developed in Second Life: http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet28/stewart.html

*http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Virtual%20birthing%20unit

Sarah Stewart

sarah.stewart@midwives.org.auhttp://sarah-stewart.blogspot.comTwitter: SarahStewartSkype: sarah.m.stewart