Reflections from Games Based Learning 2010 (#GBL10) – 2 of 10 What can education learn from the medical industry?

The great thing about the Games Based Learning Conference is that it isn’t just about games, learning and school. In fact most of the pioneering work with computer games and learning is going on in other sectors. In particular the military, medical industry and higher education community.

Jonathan Stewart, a Surgeon at the Hollier Medical Simulation Centre gave a really good presenation on how simulations are being used in the medical industry. I took a huge amount from Johnathan’s presenation in terms of what we could learn in schools from medical simualtion.

For example in his talk he mentioned ‘haptics’ technology where trainee surgeons use haptics (pressure sensitive devices that you can feel and are resistant to touch) to practice surgical pricedure before trying them for real. I wonder if there are possibilties for using this type of technology is subjects like woodwork or metal work? Where children practice cutting objects as a simulation first before trying it on the ‘real’ meterals. Surely with such practice the final product would be a lot better?

Anyway you can watch Jonathan’s keynote here:

Comments

[Krysia]

Ollie, I found this talk very interesting.
I think your idea about using simulations and haptics in woodwork or metalwork has a lot of scope. In my opinion, a wee bit unneccesary having a practice cutting a piece of wood, as it's not a particularly dangerous or stressful activity. (Although even in writing this, there is clear potential for pupils with additional support needs in some of the simpler tasks - I know a guy who teaches woodwork to blind children, imagine the potential for haptic simulation here!) But expanding on this, there are plenty of schools out there who don't have facilities for metal casting (or do but due to H&S pupils don't use them). Using that as an example, there is a massive amount of scope for simulation in activities where facilities aren't available or as Jonathan highlights are a stressful and potentially dangerous activity. Setting up machinary correctly, choosing the most appropriate tools and materials, planning/organising work, risk assessment/safety checks. I can almost imagine a game using a wii-mote as a MIG welding torch.

Jonathans presentation breaches into so many other 'hands-on' industries. It highlighlights the importance of multi-modal technologies for learning and training. One of the key points he made at the very end about the importance of human factors and communication. In education pupils (and teachers) are often in a very safe/calm environments, using games and simulations as a way of helping them how to learn how to deal with stress/pressures of 'real jobs' has fantastic potential.