Teaching Interpersonal Skills Through Immersive Art Experiences in Virtual Reality

MediaCombo is developing a unique virtual reality platform aimed at enhancing interprofessional skills through immersive art experiences. Our approach is rooted in VisualThinking Strategies (VTS), a methodology created over 30 years ago by psychologist Abigail Housen and Philip Yenawine, while he was Director of Education at the Museum of Modern Art.

Many studies since then have confirmed VTS's effectiveness in fostering observation, tolerance of ambiguity and communication skills with interprofessional groups of health education students (IPE), K-12 students and other groups. We are excited to replicate these positive outcomes in a Virtual Reality setting.

VTS sessions are typically conducted by museum educators in museum galleries, which significantly limits access to this training. By harnessing VR technology, we enable student participation from any location with a headset and WiFi connection. Research into the use of VR in educational settings has shown that learning retention is often higher because VR provides immersive, interactive, highly focused learning experiences in safe environments, free from other distractions.

VITaLS Demonstration Results

The first VITaLS demonstration in our virtual museum gallery involved a collaboration with health education students from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the School of Nursing and Health Studies. Student feedback following just a single session indicated some of the benefits:

" It allowed the viewer to process one’s own interpretation of the picture while also understanding the views of others. I think it really pinpointed how many people can decipher a situation or “picture” in life differently and the importance of communicating their findings with one another to look at it in a different light.”‍

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‍“To consider different perspectives by actively listening to peers, learning how to ask questions and take in information in a non-judgemental way.”

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‍"It felt like we accomplished the full experience of actually going to a museum where the artwork was located while standing there talking about it."

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Interpersonal skills such as observing and listening closely, articulating evidence and recognizing bias are foundational for success in work and in life. These skills foster better understanding, trust, empathy and collaboration, resulting in better outcomes.

Application to Healthcare

In the healthcare sector, the stakes are particularly high. Errors in routine healthcare encounters represent the third leading cause of death in the U.S., resulting in approximately 440,000 preventable fatalities each year. Communication and teamwork failures are among the primary contributors to these errors. Equipping students with improved collaboration and communication techniques can have far reaching impacts in decreasing these errors and enhancing the quality of healthcare.

Participate With Us

We invite health education faculty to engage with us and contribute to shaping the future of interprofessional skills education through innovative research. For details on how you can get involved, please contact us here.