Nordic Network for simulation-based training and professional learning (SimPro)

Despite structural similarities between fields, there are significant differences in how simulation-based training is implemented and used in practical training and assessment practices. For instance, in maritime bachelor education, simulators are used for certifying technical skills i.e., to formally qualify for international competence requirements for the industry whereas in bachelor-level teacher education, simulators are used for preparations before the start of practice periods in schools. Recently, new simulation technologies have entered the healthcare domain though highly immersive virtual reality technologies. Building full-scale hospital departments with digital mannequins, nurse students can simulate realistic scenarios to train for crisis, collaboration across medical domains, prepare and further refine students’ professional competence before and after hospital practice. Hence, simulation-based exercises can take many forms, from the acquisition of specific technical skills to more complex training designs. In the class of events usually described as ‘full-scale simulations’ of multifaceted events the aim in not just to learn what should happen, but also why and how to the competent professional should cope with challenges, thereby allowing students to cultivate their contextual understanding of a given activity.

The overall aim of the SimPro network is to advance our understanding of simulation-based training across professional settings in ways that can improve the quality of simulation-based training. We believe that this goal only can be attained by problematizing and creating connections between education and the workplace, advancing knowledge about the relationship between simulation design, simulation practice and learning outcomes. Hence, an objective is to explicate how simulations are operationalized across different educational contexts and how educators mobilize simulation-based teaching methods in their educational practices. Our second objective is to investigate the interplay between the theories and beliefs that underpin simulation-based training to become a competent professional in different fields. Through continuous interdisciplinary dialogue, this network problematizes and creates connections between theoretical knowledge and practical applications across professional fields characterized by an otherwise fragmented knowledgebase. The Nordic Network SimPro is funded by the Swedish Research council between 2024 and 2026.