On Monday, the annual SEAT (Social justice, Equity, Accountability, Transformation) at the Table conference kicked off, and a presentation titled An Educational Technique in Learning about DEI and DEI in Learning: Human Simulation provided an interesting insight on the way people work with different humans.
Melih Elcin, Assistant Dean for Interprofessional Education at Springfield College, started off his presentation by talking about simulation modalities. The modalities are to try and enhance learning experiences in real-life scenarios. Although Elcin mentioned three levels of modalities, he focused on the high-modality simulations. The highest level consists of robotic human cutouts, which are controlled by different types of software to create different situations in cases.
Oftentimes, in CPR dummies and human-looking robotics, the person being represented is a white adult. But, within the last 10-20 years, Elcin showed different races and even special groups now being represented – including Black people, Asian people, Hispanic people and a multitude of other specific groups.
Elcin told the audience that he received a notification that morning that a software robot had created a kid with cerebral palsy and scoliosis. A few years ago, a robot patient was designed as someone with Down syndrome, as well. Elcin stressed the importance of these different groups being represented in interactive simulations because when students such as Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy majors have to interact with a patient, they shouldn’t base the person off of what they look like, but instead help them based on their physical characteristics so they can fully understand what is happening.
When students are learning, typically it’s presented in lecture form. Elcin provided his thoughts on what is most effective in a classroom setting.
“I always believe that just listening to a presentation or making a discussion doesn’t help students achieve the goal of interacting with something,” Elcin said. “When you are involved in the case, when you immerse in the case, you begin to live your own values, your own feelings and it makes the difference.”
Elcin got his masters degree in Educational Science at Hacettepe University in Turkey in 2007, and has been working in Human Simulation involvement for over 25 years. Elcin was even the recipient of the Association for Standardized Patient Educators Outstanding SP Educator Award in 2019.
Later in the presentation, Elcin gave an example of DEI being a factor in simulation. His example was nurses who treat different types of patients daily, but in training could only interact with one type of human. Elcin noted that these patients will receive unwarranted reactions from the nurse if they haven’t received a diverse training program.
Elcin’s last example was a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE). The examiners are tasked with helping eight different cases, trying to treat them exactly the same. The example gave information about how trainees can react in different situations.
“We can at least make our students be aware of situations, or face their inner feelings and thoughts about that,” Elcin said. “I prefer using those types of information.”
With more and more types of software coming out, Elcin would be pleased if the new health science building that opened on campus in 2023 would integrate some of his practices.