8. Use of GenAI in healthcare education to enhance representation, realism & engagement with online learning 

Authors:  Andy Winter and Mary Burton

Institution: Coventry University, UK

Situation

The authors, both Assistant Professors at Coventry University and healthcare professionals, leveraged their dual roles as educators and practitioners to foster innovative creativity within the teaching and learning process. Their exploration of GenAI applications aimed to enhance the experience for Return to Practice (RTP) learners using authentic Virtual Simulated Placements (VSP). This innovative approach was born from their shared roles in the digital content development of a separate RTP course and their mutual engagement in the MSc module, one as subject lead and one as student.

Task

The challenge was to enhance the authenticity, engagement, and applicability of online learning. GenAI provided an opportunity for learners to be creative within boundaries, enhancing the online learning environments they were creating. The goal was to enhance representation across the VSP by creating diverse avatars, thereby increasing engagement and realism. As D'Errico, Paciello, and Cerniglia (2016) state, video has been shown to increase engagement with online activities, notably with the emotive element provided by the avatars adding a layer of realism, providing the 'why' for the learners in their VSPs.

Action

The teaching innovation involved integrating GenAI into the Allied Health Professional Return to Practice course. Students were introduced to the theory and ethics of GenAI, providing a solid foundation for understanding the technology and its potential applications in their field.

The subject lead facilitated exploration and discussion around GenAI, encouraging students to think creatively about how they could apply these principles in their workplaces. This was done through a coaching approach, fostering a supportive and collaborative learning environment that was key to the delivery of the sessions.

Students were shown how to use GenAI through a text-to-image platform to create photorealistic avatars from text prompts alone. They were then taught how to animate and voice these avatars using AI-powered video creation software, effectively bringing their creations to life.  This practical application allowed students to see the immediate potential of GenAI in enhancing their delivery of case studies.

Figure 1: GenAI image of one case study 

(the QR code leads viewers to the YouTube video to see the animated final product used in the VSP)

Results

The integration of the MSc module resulted in a PGCert in Simulation for the student co-author. The learning acquired was then seamlessly transferred into the development of content for a 12-month Health Education England-funded pilot study for RTP Allied Health professionals as the Course Director. The success of this course resulted in a further 4 years of funding from NHS England for an online Virtual Simulated course for HCPC practitioners. The application of video avatars is now being utilised across a number of the VSPs in the School of Health & Care for Nursing (Adult, Children and Young People and Mental Health).

To gather both quantitative and qualitative data on the students’ perception of the GenAI-created avatars, we initiated a straightforward MS Forms survey, which was distributed to our entire student body (approximately 100 students) currently utilising the VSP. In alignment with the ethos of this case study, it was deemed fitting for GenAI, represented here by MS Copilot, to objectively analyse the collected data Response Rate (RR). The following presents the results of this analysis.

Copilot analysis of student feedback on video avatars

Prompt used:

Please can you provide an objective overview of the data being shown on this MS Form?

Copilot Response

Certainly! Here’s an objective overview of the data from the MS Form regarding feedback on Case Study Avatar Videos:

Animation Quality: Respondents rated the quality of animations, with options ranging from Poor to Excellent.

Enhanced Understanding: Approximately 71.43% (10 out of 14) respondents felt that animations enhanced their understanding of the case studies.

Realism and Engagement: About 71.43% (10 out of 14) respondents believed the realism of images enhanced their engagement with the case studies.

Voiceover Impact: Approximately 57.14% (8 out of 14) respondents agreed that voiceovers contributed to the realism of the case studies.

The data suggests that the animations and voiceovers were generally perceived positively, contributing to engagement and empathy in the case studies. A minority of respondents suggested improvements, including the use of real actors for better realism and engagement.

Stakeholder Commentary

For the students currently enrolled and future students, GenAI is encouraged as a resource to be taken advantage of. Students are aware that sessions are taught with the lesson plans being written in conjunction with GenAI, a literal co-pilot for the educator. Student feedback from module evaluation demonstrates they find this innovative and positive.

The AHP leads across the School of Health and Care at the HEI have reported that this method enhances the quality of their product and the experience for their students. The RTP course for which it was designed and integrated was then successfully awarded 4 years of NHSE funding for expansion. It has also increased the collaboration with AHP groups, professionals, service users and carers across England to develop the use of GenAI.

The use of GenAI in the course works on a simple premise that if (as an educator) you are worried about your job security with the advancements of GenAI, then heed this simple piece of advice “You will not lose your job to AI…but you may to someone who knows how to use it”.

References 

D'Errico, F., Paciello, M. and Cerniglia, L., (2016). When emotions enhance students’ engagement in e-learning processes. Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge Society, 12(4).

Author biographies

Andy Winter 

Andy Winter is Assistant Professor at Coventry University where he champions healthcare simulation, XR modalities, and AI in health education. He directs the MSc in Health Simulation and promotes gamification in health education.

Mary Burton 

Mary Burton is a postgraduate student from Coventry University where she completed her PGCERT in Healthcare Simulation. She is also an Assistant Professor at Coventry University and the Course Director for an online asynchronous course for HCPC returners, of which 40% is using simulation.