The future is now at Otago Polytechnic’s School of Nursing

Otago Polytechnic’s School of Nursing has entered the head-turning field of augmented reality.

Otago Polytechnic is working with international company Pearson, which has developed interactive applications that tap into Microsoft’s HoloLens, a headset that incorporates high-definition holograms into a viewer’s surroundings.

The cutting-edge technology allows nursing students to see 3D images of the body, including organs, as well as assess relatively common conditions that they might not experience on clinical placements.

Ian Crabtree, Head of School (Nursing), says the use of the interactive tool puts Otago Polytechnic at the forefront of learning and teaching technologies and better prepares learners for real-world situations.

“Imagine,” Ian says, “a scenario in which a ‘patient’ has gone into anaphylactic shock. The students can sit the patient down and walk around him. When they do that, they’ll see he’s got an injury on his back. From there, they can deduce he might be having a reaction to the antibiotics he’s taken for the injury.”

Otago Polytechnic nursing staff are currently being trained in the use of the technology, which will be implemented more fully in our nursing programmes in 2019.

Ian can already see applications for the technology beyond nursing.

“This could be useful for sport, midwifery and occupational therapy.”

Pearson, a global learning company, offers a range of teaching and learning services powered by technology. 

Pearson trainer Linda Bush says the applications have wide-ranging educational benefits.

“Immersive experiences evoke a sense of being present in a particular environment. This can evoke responses such as empathy.

“In addition, research shows that learning in such a way is often more deeply embedded in a learner’s memory. It adds another layer to how students can learn.”

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