Both students and faculty have reacted positively to the technology and the requests for simulations just keep coming in! Here are what some of our users have had to say about their Simulated Experiences at Saint Leo:
“The Sim Specialist has exceeded my expectation for the sessions, and has really provided the students with interactive discussions and experiences that support their learning. The students' feedback on the sessions has been predominately positive…we have been using the Mursion scenarios for a while. For the first time, I had a student on Monday night ask ‘Can we do that again this semester so we can see how much our lessons improve?’ I felt that was a moment when the student recognized how this platform could enhance their teaching and learning.” –Tammy Quick, Assistant Professor Educational Studies: Early Childhood Development & Education Specialization Program Administrator, Ocala Education Center
“Our students were thoroughly engaged while working with the avatar. They were able to interact, learn from each other, receive feedback, and ask questions. As a professor, I enjoyed watching them utilize the interpersonal and communication skills that are taught as part of our curriculum.” - Michelle Boone-Thornton, Associate Chair of Undergraduate Human Services Program
“I loved it! It’s wonderful! I think this is going to be great for the students. This is much better than anything I could produce in the classroom because, when the students have to role play and be the partners a lot of times they’re hesitant…but this was a wonderful way for them to seek that engagement.” – Katrina Maxwell, Associate Professor of Human Services, College of Education and Social Services
“I can be very uncomfortable with certain things, especially with subjects I felt unsure about, like medicine, and dealing with strange social situations. Dealing with the virtual patient put me out of my comfort zone in a good way. And I think I’ll perform better when faced with similar situations in the future.” – Student
“I think that this is like in the day and age that we're at I think this is such an awesome tool to have. I think that this is so awesome…I can teach in front of students, but sometimes presenting in front of your peers is totally different. It is totally different dynamic, but so rewarding.” -Student
“I was able to realize my lack of effective questions (too many yes/no questions) and implementation of teach-back (my part was too much of a one-way interaction).” – Student
“I think it a useful means to ensure full understanding of either colleagues or consumers…This may help me to get new ideas and a deeper understanding of the information.” – Student
“This was my first experience…It was adaptive. It definitely took what I was saying and, like when I shared about my daughter’s scenario, the avatar reacted, so it felt real and intuitive.” – Student
“[The avatar] was very reflective to the questions and the statements that you make. Role playing, to me, is not one of my strong suits, but this experience was a lot less confrontational. When you are role playing with a teacher or someone you’re supervising it’s different because that’s someone you have a working relationship with…I think I would prefer to use this over actual role playing because it’s not a threatening situation.” – Student
“It’s interesting how the avatars have different, distinct personalities, and you can kind of play off of that. It wasn’t really as autonomous as I thought it would be. It’s neat; they’re all, like, their own little individual person.” – Student
“I liked knowing that a real person was behind it listening and responding rather than having some pre-determined responses. An artificial conversation would have felt much more intimidating.” – Student
“I really liked it because it got my brain going.” – Student
“It’s actually really cool! I think that something like this would be really good for all new and beginning teachers because they can use this way before the school year starts to prepare themselves for real kids.” – Student
“Once you use it more you really like it. It’s a little different, yes, but at least this way you can think ‘Okay, I’m not in front of an administrator or a teacher. I’m with my classmates and it’s totally fine.’” – Elisabeth Ballew, Instructor of Education
“I was a little nervous at first, but once I got going I found the experience to be so rewarding. I walked away with a lot of ideas of what I could do to improve and build off of what I’ve already learned.” – Student
“The students said they enjoyed the experience and saw the value of the experience in their growth as graduate students in the program. They also said more such experiences would be valuable.” – Keya Mukherjee, Assistant Professor of Education
“I believe that it was an effective way to practice by simulating real persons and children behaviors. I great way to apply and practice what we learn in a realistic scenario.” – Student
“This experience was the first avatar experience I had. It was enriching and a good experience.” – Student
“It provides a risk free environment and it also allows others to observe a practice that would be able to be observed in a real-life setting.” – Melinda Carver, Associate Professor Graduate Studies in Education
“I believe it is a great tool to simultaneously implement lecture instructions and hands-on practice in every mayor class to prepare students to better operate in their respective fields. This tool will benefit those students that are more visual and hands-on learners and provide them with the same advantages as those that are lecture learners.” – Student
“Simulated Experience would help the student to become more self-aware and knowledgeable about group experiences.” – Student
“It was very realistic. In fact, students responded that they have teachers like [the avatar] in their school.” – Melinda Carver, Associate Professor Graduate Studies in Education
“[The interactor] did a great job of getting us on our toes and keeping us there.” – Student
“I think it’s better that we interact with an outside source like these avatars. If it had been someone we knew, we probably wouldn’t have taken it as seriously. This situation felt more like the real thing.” - Student