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  2. LSN Faculty Development Framework
  3. Glossary of terms

Glossary of terms

  • Assessment refers to the process that provides feedback about performance to a learner or group of learners. Assessment can be summative or formative.
  • Argyris and Schon double loop learning entails the modification of goals or decision-making rules in the light of experience. The first loop uses the goals or decision-making rules, the second loop enables their modification, hence “double-loop.”
  • Bloom’s Taxonomy is a system for the classification of learning objectives.
  • Continuing Professional Development refers to the process of tracking and documenting experience, knowledge and skills gained beyond initial training.
  • Constructive alignment is the practice of ensuring that intended learning outcomes for a course of study are effective, clear and purposeful and that learning activities, and assessment tasks are developed in alignment with these outcomes.
  • Debriefing is a semi-structured process in which the learner is encouraged to reflect on the events of the simulation with the aim of improving future performance.
  • Diverse characteristics as per Equality Act 2010 includes age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation
  • Faculty refers to those responsible for planning and delivery of simulation-based education.
  • Formative Assessment is assessment for learning rather than of learning. The focus is the attainment of goals set by the learner in consultation with the trainer.
  • Fidelity refers to the degree to which a simulated experience approaches reality. It is also referred to as authenticity and is influenced by the environment, equipment and resources used to develop the simulation based education programme.
  • Facilitator is the individual who provides guidance and support during simulation-based learning experiences.
  • Functionality (of equipment) refers to the range of operations for which the system can be used.
  • Hybrid Simulation is the term used when two or more simulation modalities are used within the same scenario. It is an example of multimodal simulation.
  • Human Factors is the discipline or science of studying the interaction between humans and, systems and technology.
  • Innovation Capability is the ability to come up with novel ideas and/or new products that may enhance the realism of a scenario and be seen as more cost-effective.
  • In-Situ Simulation refers to simulation activities which take place in the actual clinical environment. Inter-assessor reliability is the degree of agreement between assessors; the likelihood that two assessors observing the same practice would give the same mark.
  • Inter-professional education refers to educational activities that involve learners from more than one professional field.
  • Kolbs experiential learning can be defined as a learning process where knowledge results from the combination of grasping and transforming an experience. Kolb’s experiential learning cycle concept divides the learning process into a cycle of four basic theoretical components: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation.
  • Latent errors are potential hazards in the workplace which can lead to patient harm if left unidentified.
  • Mastery learning is the process whereby learners are required to achieve a minimum level of performance before moving to the next stage. The aim is to have all learners achieve an equivalent, high level of performance, rather than be normally distributed around a mean.
  • Modalities refers to the different ways of using simulation for education (e.g. Simulated patient, manikin, parttask trainer).
  • Multimodal refers to the use of multiple simulation modalities within one learning event.
  • Non-technical Skills are behavioural skills such as decision making (e.g. anticipation and planning, use of cognitive aids, avoiding fixation errors), teamwork and team management (workload distribution, communication and/or role clarity) [70].
  • Objective is a statement of a specific result that the learner of a simulation activity is expected to achieve by the end of the activity.
  • Part-task trainer refers to a simulator that allows one procedure or one aspect of a procedure to be practised in isolation.
  • Pedagogy is the discipline that deals with the theory and practice of education, and how this process influences and is influenced by the learners and context.
  • Procedural Skills refers to the technical skills required to perform a specific procedure (e.g. chest drain)
  • Psychological safety is a feeling (explicit or implicit) within a simulation-based activity that learners are comfortable participating, speaking up, sharing thoughts and asking for help as needed without fear of retribution or embarrassment [71].
  • Reliability is reproducibility of a measure across repeated tests.
  • Resilience is the ability of an individual or system to respond positively to setbacks.
  • ‘Safe’ learning environment is a learning environment where learners feel physically and psychologically safe to make decisions, take actions and interact in the simulation [71].
  • Scenario is the recreation of a clinical situation using a set of events and timelines to achieve programme objectives. Scenarios can be run ‘ad hoc’ or are programmed into the simulator and/or supporting devices.
  • Simulation based education – any educational activity that utilizes simulation aides to replicate clinical scenarios.
  • Simulation Facility is the physical space where the simulation-based education event takes place.
  • Simulated Patient is a live person playing the role of a patient, staff or family member in a healthcare simulation
  • Simulation programme is an educational activity which uses simulation as the predominant modality to teach learners.
  • Spectrum (of simulation) refers to the range of educational activities for which simulation can be appropriately used.
  • Summative Assessment is assessment of learning rather than for learning. Assessment in this context is used to pass or fail a learner and decides the future progress of a learner in their professional setting.
  • Technician is an individual who has mastered the basic skills and techniques to support SBE and TEL
  • Technologist is a specialist in their field, with greater depth of knowledge and expertise in SBE and TEL; may work with a specific technology or choose to focus on a skill set.
  • Validity is the degree to which a test or evaluation tool accurately measures the intended outcome of the test [70].
  • Virtual reality is the use of computer technology to experience (with a range of immersive display devices) an interactive three-dimensional world in which the objects have a sense of spatial presence.