Pixel Scoop

I just read this article which tells us about a training programme based in SL™ for London paramedics. Now, I am forever banging on about the potential of Second Life and other virtual worlds as learning environments. But this is something, erm, new. The article reports that,

“The Second Life training system uses online avatars of patients in Second Life, in a series of different scenarios, to teach future paramedics how to respond to different situations. Students work in groups of three or four to treat the virtual patient.”

Now, call me cynical here, but would it not be better for them to train in real life situations or even real life re-enactments. It’s all a bit, well, pixelated in game! They’d be able to fix an avie up with one or two clicks and a relog!! Real human bodies though (so I hear) are somewhat more complex.

Each week the trainee paramedics receive a SLURL by email and once they arrive are greeted with a virtual emergency. They can ‘treat’ their ‘patient’ using their virtual kit, which contains the equipment you would typically find in an ambulance (albeit slightly more functional when it isn’t pixel stuff), including oxygen masks and those electro-whatsit doo-dah things they try and get dead people’s hearts beating again with. Apologies for my lack of eloquence. I have very little knowledge about medical equipment. Once they get the patient to ‘hospital’ they submit notes.

One of the students is quoted in the article as saying,

“It’s a really useful tool. It’s much better to be able to actually perform treatments rather than just talk about it. Everyone is online at the same time so you can bounce ideas off each other and make an informed decision.”

Now forgive me for sounding a little condescending here but if she thinks she is ‘actually performing treatments’ by clicking a pixel person, then God help the real patients she is sent to assist. Can you imagine it? Some poor old dear lying on the floor unable to breathe and the paramedic comes in screaming, “Quick, check her lag meter!!!! Excuse me, my dear, can you hear me? I think you need to relog! You’re all missing image!!”

Now, I reiterate that I really am all for using virtual worlds as a learning tool, but someone is actually funding a programme to train paramedics in Second Life and I cannot help but think that this money would be better spent in re-enacting real life scenarios. But who am I to judge. I just thought I’d share that little snippet I read, as it is certainly a more novel use of SL.