PhD defence: Preparing health professions learners to work with uncertainty

This thesis looks at how health professions students learn to manage uncertainty during their undergraduate training and suggests a method to help them learn this skill. We began by reviewing studies on managing uncertainty in healthcare education. Our research highlighted that while experiencing uncertainty is common for these students, there aren’t many formal teaching methods that address this.

We saw potential in using simulation-based learning, so we created a digital educational escape room (DEER) to help students learn about uncertainty in a fun and interactive way. Using a design-based research approach, we developed several prototypes of the DEER. We also harnessed this research process to study how students learn in such novel online environments.

Multiple cycles of design and evaluation resulted in a final DEER that provided an engaging online learning space where medical students could safely face uncertainty and learn to manage it through teamwork and reflection.

Our research showed that using a well-known teaching theory, Community of Inquiry, provided a valuable framework in creating and using the digital learning game. Our work also highlighted the importance of investing in developing a psychologically safe environment when designing such games. Overall, our work provides design principles and practical tips for others who want to develop their own digital escape games for learning.