Fanshawe College is celebrating the Simulation Week 2023 event. This event acknowledges the advancements in education, training and safety practices through simulation technology. According to Simulation Manager Tania Killian, this yearly event highlights Fanshawe College’s dedication to innovation and achievement across various subject areas.
“The purpose of this event is to raise awareness of the value of simulation-based learning through various interactive activities,” Killian says. “This is an opportunity to recognize the transformative impact of simulation on shaping the future.”
Killian says that Fanshawe College has one of the best simulation areas in Ontario and supports various programs compared to other colleges. She adds that they will do virtual reality and simulation demonstrations, simulation laboratory tours, and activities such as scavenger hunts during the event.
“Simulation, in general, helps to learn prioritization, think critically, make decisions and learn from mistakes,” Killian says.
Fanshawe College School of Health Sciences Professor Yvonne Drasovean says attendees can take tours of the College’s modern facilities and get a firsthand look at the cutting-edge tools and methods utilized in training and safety procedures.
“This is to showcase the high-fidelity simulation, virtual reality, extended reality (XR) and low-fidelity simulation,” Drasovean says. “In the respiratory program, we use all of this in various levels through a safe learning environment.”
Drasovean says that with simulation, students can go to different environments that represent real-life scenarios but without the danger of harming someone.
“We have full-body mannequin simulator models that incorporate computerized models that closely approximate the psychology seen in the human body,” Drasovean says.
She adds that a simulation-based experience gives students more confidence to push themselves for better outcomes.
“This allows the students to experiment before going into clinical placement and working with real patients,” Drasovean says.
Killian says that this event also highlights what the Fanshawe College simulation team and faculty do to help make the learning experience for students more pleasant and better.
“Students do not always get the opportunity to see some of the things they will see out there in the industry, so we do our best to simulate those scenarios,” Killian says. “Real-life scenarios can be quite scary and stressful, so we try to simulate and replicate that to prepare our students in the best way possible.”
Killian says simulation is also used in other fields, like trades and culinary arts. She states that these tools give students more opportunities to experience how it will be when they get into the industry.
“The more exposed students are to real-life scenarios, the better they will handle them,” Killian says. “This will show students precisely what is available for them and what they can expect from the industry.”
Killian says that with realistic scenarios and equipment, the ability to make mistakes becomes an asset of simulation training in every field.
She adds that Fanshawe College is constantly looking forward to fostering a deeper understanding of simulation’s pivotal role in the future of innovation and education. The event will run in the D building simulation labs from Sept.18 to 22, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
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