25 The prebriefing

Define the content of the prebriefing for the virtual gaming simulation (VGS).

The term prebriefing arises from the combination of two other terms that help to understand its nature (INACSL Standards Committee et al., 2021):

• Preparation: Refers to the process of helping learners to become situated in a common mental model and preparing them for the technical content of the simulation.
• Briefing: Refers to the explanation of the simulation scenario and ground rules.

Therefore, prebriefing is an orientation session to prepare learners for the experience with the simulation (Verkuyl et al., 2022). Its goal is to introduce and set the basis needed for the experience with the simulation, outlying the rules that the users have to follow, present the case, comment the learning objectives and the expectations, activate previous knowledge, etc. This will make, in the first place, that learners are more comfortable with the learning environment and start to think about it as a safe place to enhance their competencies. In the second place, it will also prepare students for the experience and enable them to make the most out of the simulation in terms of acquisition, comprehension, and maintenance of the knowledge.
Activating prior knowledge during pre-briefing is crucial for designers to consider. This can be accomplished through a range of activities, such as providing learners with reading materials to familiarize them with the topic or conducting more complex exercises like role-playing or case studies. These materials and exercises must be planned with careful consideration of the target audience’s knowledge level, so that they reinforce existing knowledge without requiring excessive effort on the part of the learner for comprehension.

The briefing phase primarily focuses on explaining the characteristics of the VGS to provide learners with all the necessary information prior to the enactment phase. The essential elements to include in the prebriefing are:

• The learning objectives that the VGS aims to achieve.
• A description of the VGS and how to play it.
• The ground rules of the VGS which typically include:

o Fiction contract: This refers to an agreement that all participants must respect during the game. The fiction contract stipulates that students must act as if the situation presented in the game is real, even though it is just a simulation.
o Confidentiality: This refers to agreement from learners to not share information about the simulation scenario in order to preserve the integrity of the simulation and experiences of future learners.
o Psychological Safety commitment: Learner must feel safe while playing the simulation and should be fully informed of what to expect and what will be expected of them during the simulation. For example, they should be made aware of any content which may be disturbing to them in the scenario. Creating a safe environment in which learners are not afraid of making mistakes, explore the consequences of different actions/decisions within the simulation will contribute to their exploration and mastery of the scenario.

• The technical requirements needed for having an adequate experience with the VGS.
• Clarification of the students’ expectations and the grading criteria for their experience, if aplicable.
• Brief description of the simulation scenario, including all the information considered relevant to a learner prior to engaging in the simulation (enactment).
• Any preparation required, which may include directions to review knowledge of key topic areas, specific readings, review of protocols or self-reflective activities that will prepare the learner for problem-solving and decision-making in the simulation.

The format for conducting the prebriefing should also be defined, though the final facilitator may modify and adapt it to suit their audience’s characteristics and their own capabilities. The most common formats for prebriefing include the following:

• The self-prebriefing: In this case the prebriefing information is included in the software platform and it is autonomously done by the learner. For this option we recommend using the H5P resources such as the interactive book or the course presentation.
• The online prebriefing: In this case, the prebriefing is led by a facilitator who will introduce the students to the simulation and provide them with the needed pre-briefing introduce the learners to the simulation, materials, and pre-briefing activities. This form of pre-briefing is done virtually using a video conferencing platform (e.g., Zoom, Teams, Collaborate, etc.)
• The face-to-face prebriefing: In this case, the prebriefing is led by a facilitator and is very similar to the online prebriefing, but it takes place in person within a small-group or classroom setting.
• The recorded prebriefing: In this case, learners will view a recorded pre-briefing prepared the VGS designer containing all of the pre-briefing content discussed above.

More information about prebriefing: 

• • • INACSL Standards Committee, McDermott, D.S., Ludlow, J., Horsley, E. & Meakim, C. (2021). Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice TM Prebriefing: Preparation and Briefing. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 58, 9-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2021.08.008