The validation of a serious game for teaching ultrasound skills
Abstract Background Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an important bedside diagnostic tool and is being taught in several specialties. However, mastering the required psychomotor skills takes time and learning curves are different between students. Especially learning to make the right probe movem...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2022-07-01
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| Series: | The Ultrasound Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13089-022-00280-8 |
| _version_ | 1818509785299943424 |
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| author | T. J. Olgers J. M. van Os H. R. Bouma J. C. ter Maaten |
| author_facet | T. J. Olgers J. M. van Os H. R. Bouma J. C. ter Maaten |
| author_sort | T. J. Olgers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an important bedside diagnostic tool and is being taught in several specialties. However, mastering the required psychomotor skills takes time and learning curves are different between students. Especially learning to make the right probe movements with the corresponding changes of the ultrasound image on screen, and integrating it into a 3D mental model takes time. This precious bedside-time of trainers and physicians may be reduced using other learning methods for mastering the psychomotor skills, for example the use of serious games. Such a game is under development but it needs to be validated before widespread use can be advised. In this article we describe the development and the first three steps in the validation of a serious game for ultrasound skills. Results We have included 18 ultrasound experts and 24 ultrasound novices who played the serious game ‘Underwater” and provided feedback. They concluded that “underwater” is fun to play and that movement of the 3D-printed probe resembled real ultrasound probe movements. Participants highly valued the potential of the game for training eye–hand coordination and stability of probe handling, two very important skills in performing ultrasound in real practice. Although we compared several in-game parameters such as distance and speed, no difference was observed between novices and experts. This means that content- and face validity of the serious game is demonstrated but optimal parameters to measure differences between novices and experts still have to be determined. Conclusions Our study shows solid content- and face validity of the serious game “UnderWater” for training ultrasound skills, although construct validity could not be demonstrated yet. The game is appreciated as a promising serious game for training eye–hand coordination and learning ultrasound, which may reduce expensive bed-side teaching. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T22:50:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fc1ec8b8137f415c9163d422bf3eb878 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2524-8987 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T22:50:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Ultrasound Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-fc1ec8b8137f415c9163d422bf3eb8782022-12-22T01:30:27ZengSpringerOpenThe Ultrasound Journal2524-89872022-07-011411710.1186/s13089-022-00280-8The validation of a serious game for teaching ultrasound skillsT. J. Olgers0J. M. van Os1H. R. Bouma2J. C. ter Maaten3Department Internal Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center GroningenDepartment Internal Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center GroningenDepartment Internal Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center GroningenDepartment Internal Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center GroningenAbstract Background Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an important bedside diagnostic tool and is being taught in several specialties. However, mastering the required psychomotor skills takes time and learning curves are different between students. Especially learning to make the right probe movements with the corresponding changes of the ultrasound image on screen, and integrating it into a 3D mental model takes time. This precious bedside-time of trainers and physicians may be reduced using other learning methods for mastering the psychomotor skills, for example the use of serious games. Such a game is under development but it needs to be validated before widespread use can be advised. In this article we describe the development and the first three steps in the validation of a serious game for ultrasound skills. Results We have included 18 ultrasound experts and 24 ultrasound novices who played the serious game ‘Underwater” and provided feedback. They concluded that “underwater” is fun to play and that movement of the 3D-printed probe resembled real ultrasound probe movements. Participants highly valued the potential of the game for training eye–hand coordination and stability of probe handling, two very important skills in performing ultrasound in real practice. Although we compared several in-game parameters such as distance and speed, no difference was observed between novices and experts. This means that content- and face validity of the serious game is demonstrated but optimal parameters to measure differences between novices and experts still have to be determined. Conclusions Our study shows solid content- and face validity of the serious game “UnderWater” for training ultrasound skills, although construct validity could not be demonstrated yet. The game is appreciated as a promising serious game for training eye–hand coordination and learning ultrasound, which may reduce expensive bed-side teaching.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13089-022-00280-8POCUSSerious gamesUltrasound educationUltrasound trainingInternal medicine |
| spellingShingle | T. J. Olgers J. M. van Os H. R. Bouma J. C. ter Maaten The validation of a serious game for teaching ultrasound skills The Ultrasound Journal POCUS Serious games Ultrasound education Ultrasound training Internal medicine |
| title | The validation of a serious game for teaching ultrasound skills |
| title_full | The validation of a serious game for teaching ultrasound skills |
| title_fullStr | The validation of a serious game for teaching ultrasound skills |
| title_full_unstemmed | The validation of a serious game for teaching ultrasound skills |
| title_short | The validation of a serious game for teaching ultrasound skills |
| title_sort | validation of a serious game for teaching ultrasound skills |
| topic | POCUS Serious games Ultrasound education Ultrasound training Internal medicine |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13089-022-00280-8 |
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