We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
A Two-Phase Mixed Methods Project Illustrating Development of a Virtual Human Intervention to Teach Advanced Communication Skills and a Subsequent Blinded Mixed Methods Trial to Test the Intervention for Effectiveness.
- Authors
Fetters, Michael D.; Guetterman, Timothy C.; Scerbo, Mark W.; Kron, Frederick W.
- Abstract
Given growing interest in advanced applications of mixed methods research, we illustrate a multiphase, mixed methods program of research involving multidisciplinary collaboration to create a computer simulation using virtual humans to teach advanced communication skills, and to test the simulation in an educational trial. Phase I comprised 3 parts. Part I involved designing, building, testing, and refining a prototype called MPathic-VR. Four focus groups informed a blueprint used in Part II to develop the prototype. In Part III, focus groups; quantitative efficacy/feasibility testing; qualitative interviews/quantitative assessments; and the results, confirmed the feasibility of using the MPathic-VR program in medical education, and yielded critical design information for further development. Phase II comprised 2 parts: expanding features of MPathic-VR and testing its effectiveness. Part I involved 3 aims: incorporating additional competencies, creating a framework for streamlining virtual human development, and creating an automated after action review. A Part II mixed methods single-blinded, multisite, randomized controlled trial demonstrated that compared to controls, MPathic-VRexposed students improved their performance with each successive encounter with the communication modules. They achieved statistically significantly higher composite scores from evaluators in a realistic clinical scenario held at a delayed interval after the training. They scored higher attitudinal scores about their experiences, and valued learning nonverbal communication skills, receiving immediate feedback and experiencing simulated emotionally-charged clinical encounters. This article illustrates a program of research used to develop an intervention and then test it, and applying mixed methods research to the development of complex virtual human technology through collaboration across multiple disciplines.
- Subjects
INTERPROFESSIONAL relations; HUMAN services programs; COMMUNICATION education; INTERDISCIPLINARY research
- Publication
International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, 2018, Vol 10, Issue 1, p296
- ISSN
1834-0806
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.29034/ijmra.v10n1a19