Just because a partner isn’t scripted into the build in terms of being animated, tracked by the HUDs or given a specific script to follow it doesn’t mean a partner could not usefully take part in the scenario.

The build as it stands does not preclude a partner taking part in verbal communications, of playing anxious to the midwife’s calm, of creating situations that a midwife may have to face in dealing with other people present at the birth. It is my hope that the students themselves respond to some of these possibilities and take on role-playing the “extras” (said with tongue in cheek) out of their own interest in extending the learning opportunity themselves.

Aaron – thanks so much for the detailed description of what has been involved in the project and for explaining the issue Brendan raised – it makes for fascinating reading.

It was always intended to have a partner present in the initial planning of the build and until only weeks out that intention was still present. Unfortunately in the end to meet the deadlines set by the fact the students were coming into the build on a specific date, the scripting, animations and building required to have a partner (of whatever gender) present in the scenarios just did not happen. This was a very complex build designed out of very little in terms of actual specifics, reassessed and recreated on an ongoing basis through discussion with the educators. The build was divided into stages so that at least, even if the ideal could not be developed within the budgeted hours we would have finished stages at points throughout the process which could be considered complete resources.

Stage one therefore gave us the actual unit, created as an immersive experience of an “ideal birthing unit” complete with notecards and links out to information supporting the theory associated with the design. Stage two (which we have reached) and as described in this article, steps the midwife through a normal birthing process in terms of her interactions with the mother from the first phone call into the unit through to the actual birth. The scenario goes beyond a simple role play of mother and midwife to include the numerous clinical requirements of the process such as blood pressure and temperature readings, preparation of medical equipment and medications, good practice requirements, e.g. use of sterile gloves in examination, washing of hands etc. Stage three was intended to extend the scenarios to include not only a partner (or whanau depending on ethnic considerations) but more difficult births such as postpartum hemorrhage, i.e. birth scenarios typically not experienced by midwifery trainees. As I mentioned above deadlines and budget restrictions (read as we used it all up by the end of stage two) have meant that further developments will not happen under the banner of this project funding. That is not to say they wont happen, as the resources provided are creative commons and will be packaged as with as much instruction as I have time to develop so that others may carry on taking the scenarios further.

And just to give some perspective to the build requirements (all originals to allow for full permissions under a creative commons license):
Objects – over 2600; Scripts – over 250 (not including HUDs worm by mother and midwife); Animations and poses – 16; Textures – over 100.

Aaron Griffiths [SL: Isa Goodman] – Lead Developer The SLENZ Project

best wishes, Sarah Stewart/Petal Stransky Lead Midwifery Educator – SLENZ project