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Interdisciplinary VR Simulation Workshop – “Pause and Ponder” Perinatal Mental Health

Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course

Description

This class activity constituted the live implementation workshop through which the Pause and Ponder immersive simulation was delivered to postgraduate learners as part of the associated mixed-methods research study. The session brought together midwives, health visitors, mental health nurses, and allied professionals to engage with 360-degree scenarios depicting deterioration in perinatal mental health, followed by structured interdisciplinary discussion.

Facilitation was jointly undertaken by Dr Janine Stockdale, Prof Paul Best, Dr Matt Birch, and Dr Deirdre O’Neill. Learners experienced the scenarios via VR headsets or conventional screen-based viewing according to preference, after which facilitators guided the Pause and Ponder pedagogy, stopping at key narrative moments to support collaborative interpretation, risk assessment, and shared care-planning. The workshop generated the quantitative and qualitative data used within the study evaluating motivation, immersion, and interdisciplinary learning outcomes.

Dr Birch supported the technical delivery, orientation to the VR environment, and smooth transition between immersive engagement and group focus group reflection. The activity demonstrated how immersive media could be embedded within authentic classroom practice and provided the empirical context for the published findings that both VR and non-VR pathways could achieve high educational value.

The session aligned with QUB Strategy 2030 priorities on digital innovation, interdisciplinary education, and enhancement of student learning experience, and supported SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education) by strengthening professional capacity in perinatal mental health care.
Period12 Apr 2022
Event typeWorkshop
LocationBelfast, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of RecognitionLocal

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