What is web-based simulation and how does it work?

Simulation is the imitation of a real-world situation, system or process, often for the purpose of training. In medical and allied health education, people often associate the word with simulation centers that need to be equipped with physical equipment and mannequins, and where simulation events need to be planned, scheduled and staffed. This type of experience is incredibly valuable, but what happens in between simulation sessions?

Our two founders, both surgeons, wanted students to be able to study anywhere, anytime, even just-in-time. So they developed simulation software that lets students learn clinical skills and procedures without needing equipment, consumables, or a patient. It was originally a desktop product and now runs in a web browser, in the cloud.

Web-based simulation is a great way to bridge the gap between theory and practice - so students are better prepared before they have to perform a skill in a lab or even in real life. With SIMTICS they can practice as many times as they need to without needing equipment or using up resources, and they can make mistakes with no-one looking over their shoulder, and more importantly without hurting anyone.

Because SIMTICS is computer software, it can track each student's activity, including study time per module, scores in quizzes and simulations, and errors made in the simulations.

Who else uses SIMTICS to complement their curriculum?

When using SIMTICS, your students will be joining thousands of others who are complementing their studies, or refreshing their knowledge and skills.

Our institutional customers include community colleges, universities, career colleges, sonography and radiography schools, high schools, and hospitals. You can read some of these customers' stories on our website and also in articles on this blog site.

Individual learners in over 100 countries, right around the world, also subscribe to our modules.

I'm not sure that an online resource is right for our students - can you tell me more?

Live, hands-on training is obviously the best way of learning a new practical skill; however, most students don't have access to this all the time, when they have time to learn. Also, it's estimated that around 75% of the skills required for the safe performance of procedures are cognitive, which means many of those can be acquired in other ways. Simulation is the next best way of learning, rehearsing and perfecting these cognitive skills.

SIMTICS web-based simulations are therefore a great way to supplement your current teaching and learning resources. Our modules offer maximum flexibility to fit in with your curriculum and you don’t need to provide special computer devices or expensive equipment. And because SIMTICS is available anytime/anywhere online, your students can easily fit it into their busy schedules. They can even access SIMTICS outside of school hours, at home, on the train, in a cafe.

The way our simulations work is that each skill or procedure is broken down into its component steps and learners choose what to do at each step, what equipment or consumables to use, and what anatomical landmarks to look for. SIMTICS will guide them while they're learning and practicing, so they can build a mental model of the procedure. When they're ready they can do each simulation in "test mode" - they will be presented with a scenario at random, and this is where they demonstrate that they know how to perform that procedure without guidance.

Learners can practice the procedures as often as they wish, in a safe environment, without using up consumables, and without needing a patient, until they feel absolutely confident. This is a great way for them to prepare for a lab or externship, and to let them experience and practice certain procedures that they would not otherwise get exposed to.

Contact us to start your evaluation of SIMTICS or to request a web demonstration.

How does the software work?

The SIMTICS modules are all easy to use and web-based. This means they are available at anytime as long as the user has an internet connection. No special hardware or other equipment is required, other than a computer mouse or other cursor control device (eg. trackpad) for use in the simulations. Each of the SIMTICS modules covers one specific procedure or topic in detail and contains:

an online simulation for procedural modules (available in Learn and Test modes)

descriptive text, which explains exactly how to perform that particular procedure including references, key terms and links to relevant journal articles

2D images and a 3D model of applied anatomy for that particular topic

a step by step video demonstration by an expert

a multi-choice quiz to test didactic knowledge

a personal logbook that keeps track of the user's study time in each module, their scores in the simulations and quizzes, and any errors made in the simulations.

Take 2 minutes to watch a virtual tour of the software riight now. For more details on features and how your students can benefit from our unique system, click here.

How many times can learners view a module? How long do they have access to a module?

An Institution Subscription provides 12 months’ access for each user. Each module can be used as often and as long as the learner wants during that time. You can also allow your learners to access SIMTICS off-campus and out of hours. There are no limits. This ensures your students will be able to continue studying, practicing and testing until they feel confident and have acquired the skill to your minimum competency standards.

How do you make sure your modules are aligned with current standards?

SIMTICS is in the business or providing current best practice online simulation training. It’s what we do and our success, and by extension your success, depend upon it. When we create and update modules, our subject experts and writers refer to the most popular textbooks, and also look for and review any new research or recommendations. Details of these resources, and links where available, can be found at the end of the text in each module.

Is it possible to see our students’ results?

Yes. If you purchase access for your class or institution, you will automatically qualify for access to our Group Administration and Reporting system which aggregates all of your student data into reports that you can view on screen, and print or download in PDF or CSV format. These reports can help with your program accreditation and allow your instructors to identify areas of relative strength and weakness in your students’ procedural competency. For reporting purposes, students can be grouped in different ways according to your needs, to make reporting easier.

If you want your students to access SIMTICS from your learning management system (LMS), SIMTICS supports LTI which will give your students seamless access to SIMTICS using their existing LMS login (“Single Sign On”), and transfer test scores automatically to your gradebook. We currently have customers using SIMTICS with products like Blackboard, Canvas, D2L, and proprietary LMS systems.

What if our students get stuck, do you offer any support?

For new students, SIMTICS provides a user guide in PDF and online formats, a built-in tutorial inside the product, and FAQs on the website.

Your institutional subscription also includes unlimited Second-Level Support which provides email and phone support to your faculty, librarians and IT helpdesk. Your students would report issues to your internal helpdesk as normal (this is "first level support), and if your helpdesk is unable to resolve an issue, they can escalate to SIMTICS for assistance.

If you would prefer SIMTICS to provide first-level support direct to your students, then additional support packages are available for purchase.

Who designs and writes the SIMTICS e-learning modules?

Our content development team includes health professionals and subject experts from different fields of medicine and allied health. They, in conjunction with our medical writers and editors, write the text, quiz questions, and the specifications for the other components (video, anatomy, simulation), with assistance from professional writers and editors.

Our graphic designers and animators create the illustrations, animations and anatomy models; film industry professionals make the videos under the direction of subject experts; and our simulation team build the simulations using media from the filming and from other sources.

And last but definitely not least (because they have such an important role!), our tireless testers spend many hours testing each module to make sure that any bugs and glitches are identified and resolved.