Screen-Based Virtual Simulation in Medical Laboratory Science Education: Findings from a National Program.
Curricular limitations on clinical placements in medical laboratory technology (MLT) education have increased interest in health care simulation, particularly virtual simulation (VS). This study explored learner experience, perceived learning, and readiness for clinical application among MLT student...
| Published in: | Clinical Laboratory Science Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 68 - 75 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Published: |
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
Winter2025
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=193126012&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 193126012 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 0894959X IKL jtl: Clinical Laboratory Science issn: 0894959X maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Winter2025 vid: 38 iid: 1 pid: 13703 pub: American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science place: Dundee, Michigan artinfo: ui: 193126012 193126012 193126012 193126012 ppf: 68 ppct: 7 formats: fmt: @attributes: type: P tig: atl: Screen-Based Virtual Simulation in Medical Laboratory Science Education: Findings from a National Program. aug: au: VIOLATO, EFREM ROSE, BRADY VERKUYL, MARGARET ATACK, LYNDA affil: Northern Alberta Institute of Technology sug: subj: Students, Allied Health Medical Laboratory Science Education Education, Competency-Based Computer Simulation Learning Methods Models, Educational Job Market Entry Into Practice Evaluation Skill Acquisition Evaluation Student Satisfaction Evaluation Clinical Competence Evaluation Student Attitudes Evaluation Human Canada Multicenter Studies Multimethod Studies Cross Sectional Studies Prospective Studies Comparative Studies Descriptive Statistics Data Analysis Software Open-Ended Questionnaires Pilot Studies Interviews Questionnaires Analysis of Variance Inferential Statistics Psychological Safety Student Experiences Online Education Computer-Assisted Instruction Education, Allied Health Funding Source ab: Curricular limitations on clinical placements in medical laboratory technology (MLT) education have increased interest in health care simulation, particularly virtual simulation (VS). This study explored learner experience, perceived learning, and readiness for clinical application among MLT students through an end-of-course survey in a work-integrated learning program across 8 Canadian institutions (N = 145, 2023-2024). Using a mixed-methods design, measures included satisfaction, psychological safety, inclusivity, skill development, engagement, usability, and debriefing quality, supplemented by open-ended comments and interviews. Students reported high satisfaction (87.9%), strong psychological safety (¯x = 4.55; SD = 0.75), and inclusivity (¯x = 4.38; SD = 0.85). High engagement and usability scores indicated effective functionality and positive debriefing experiences. Perceived learning gains were greatest for critical thinking and problem solving, with smaller improvements in communication and teamwork; cross-program differences were minimal and nonsignificant. Qualitative data highlighted VS as a valuable, low-risk environment enabling repetition, feedback, and knowledge application. Students with repeated VS exposure reported deeper learning and increased confi- dence. Overall, VS was associated with favorable learner experiences, enhanced perceived learning, and greater self-reported readiness for clinical practice. Findings support its use as an effective adjunct and potential partial substitute for traditional clinical placements in MLT education. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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