Simulation Terminology
This section provides definitions for common terms used in simulation-based education. The terminology is intended to support shared understanding among faculty, staff, and learners.
Definitions reflect how terms are used within the Simulation Lab and align with accepted practices in healthcare simulation. This section may be updated as simulation activities and programs evolve.
Assessment for Learning – Use of simulation to support learner development and improvement. Feedback is formative and focused on growth rather than grading.
Assessment of Learning – Use of simulation to evaluate competence or achievement. Often high-stakes and tied to grading, progression, or certification.
AV System – Integrated audio and video equipment used to observe, record, and review simulation activities for learning and evaluation.
Baseline Scenario – A standardized version of a scenario used to ensure consistency across learner groups or sessions.
Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) – A professional certification recognizing expertise in designing, delivering, and evaluating simulation-based education.
Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist (CHSOS) – A professional certification recognizing expertise in the operational and technical aspects of healthcare simulation, including equipment, logistics, and program support.
Clinical Reasoning – The cognitive process learners use to collect information, interpret findings, make decisions, and take action during a simulation.
Cue – Information intentionally introduced during a simulation to guide learner decision-making or redirect actions.
Debriefing – A facilitated, reflective discussion after a simulation focused on learning objectives, decision-making, teamwork, and performance improvement. Usually, 15 minutes per objective or twice the time of the actual simulation.
Advocacy-Inquiry – A debriefing technique where the facilitator shares an observation, explains their concern or curiosity, and asks the learner to describe their thinking. Used to explore clinical reasoning, not to judge behavior.
Debriefing with Good Judgment – A debriefing philosophy that assumes learners are capable and well-intentioned. Focuses on exploring mental models while providing respectful, direct feedback.
Diamond Debrief – A structured simulation debriefing model that guides learners through description, analysis, application, and summary in a focused, learner-centered discussion designed to support reflection, clinical reasoning, and transfer to practice.
PEARLS (Promoting Excellence And Reflective Learning in Simulation) – A structured debriefing framework that blends multiple debriefing strategies to guide reflection, analysis, and key learning points after a simulation.
Plus-Delta – A debriefing method where learners identify what went well and what they would change next time. Often used for brief or low-stakes simulations.
Reaction-Description-Analysis (RDA) – A structured debriefing model that moves learners from emotional reactions to factual description to deeper analysis of decisions and outcomes.
Self-Debriefing – A reflective process where learners independently review their performance using guided questions, tools, or video review.
Structured Debriefing – Any debriefing approach that follows a defined framework aligned with learning objectives to ensure consistency and focus.
Dry Run – A rehearsal of a simulation scenario without learners present to test timing, flow, equipment, and logistics.
Embedded Participant (EP) – A person placed in the scenario to support learning objectives and scenario progression.
Environmental Fidelity – The degree to which the physical environment resembles a real clinical or community setting.
Equipment – All devices, tools, and materials used exclusively for training and educational purposes within the Simulation Lab. This includes manikins, task trainers, medical devices, audiovisual systems, props, and other simulation aids. Equipment is not intended for real patient care or clinical use.
Evaluation – The systematic collection and analysis of data to determine the effectiveness of a simulation activity or program.
Extended Reality (XR) – An umbrella term that encompasses AR, VR, MR, and related technologies that combine physical and digital experiences.
Augmented Reality (AR) – A technology that overlays digital information, such as images or data, onto the real world while allowing users to remain aware of their physical environment.
Mixed Reality (MR) – A technology that blends physical and digital environments, allowing virtual objects to be anchored in and interact with the real world in real time.
Virtual Reality (VR) – A technology that places users inside a fully immersive, computer-generated environment, separating them from the physical world for learning or simulation.
Facilitator – The individual who guides the simulation experience and leads the debriefing while maintaining focus and psychological safety.
Fiction Contract – An explicit agreement established during prebriefing in which all participants agree to engage in the simulation as if it were real, while recognizing that the environment is a safe space for learning where mistakes are expected and used for improvement, not judgment.
Fidelity – The extent to which a simulation reflects real-world conditions, including physical, psychological, and conceptual realism.
Formative Feedback – Information provided to learners to support reflection, learning, and improvement.
Gaumard – A healthcare simulation company that produces high-fidelity manikins and simulation technologies used for education, training, and assessment.
Goals – Broad, high-level statements describing the overall purpose of a simulation. Goals provide direction but are not directly measurable.
Interprofessional Education (IPE) – An educational approach where learners from multiple professions learn with, from, and about each other to improve teamwork and collaborative care.
Laerdal – A global healthcare simulation company that designs and manufactures manikins, task trainers, and simulation software used for clinical education and training.
Learner – An individual participating in a simulation to develop skills or knowledge.
Learning Objectives – Specific, measurable statements describing what learners should know, do, or demonstrate by the end of a simulation. These guide scenario design, facilitation, and debriefing.
Learning Outcomes – Observable and measurable results of learner participation, often evaluated at the course or program level.
Manikin – A physical patient simulator used in healthcare simulation. Ranges from simple models for skill practice to advanced computerized systems that respond to interventions.
High-Fidelity Manikin – A technologically advanced manikin capable of simulating complex physiological responses such as breathing, speech, pulses, heart sounds, and vital sign changes.
Low-Fidelity Manikin – A basic or static model used for foundational skill practice with little or no physiological feedback.
Task Trainer – A partial manikin designed to teach or practice a specific technical skill, such as IV insertion or airway management.
Mental Model – The internal assumptions and understanding learners use to interpret situations and guide decisions.
Modality – The simulation format used, such as manikin-based, standardized patient, virtual, or task trainer.
Moulage – Makeup, props, or materials used to simulate injuries, wounds, or clinical findings.
Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) – A standardized, station-based assessment in which learners rotate through scenarios to demonstrate clinical and communication skills, often using standardized patients.
Observer Role – Participants who observe a simulation without direct involvement learning through observation and reflection.
Orientation – Introduction to the simulation space, equipment, roles, and expectations. Often part of prebriefing.
Outcome Measures – Specific indicators used to evaluate learner performance or the effectiveness of a simulation activity.
Participant – Any learner actively involved in a simulation experience.
Prebriefing – Structured preparation before simulation that establishes expectations, objectives, limitations, and psychological safety.
Psychological Fidelity – The degree to which learners are emotionally and cognitively engaged as if the simulation were real.
Psychological Safety – A learning environment where participants feel safe to take risks, ask questions, and make mistakes.
Scenario – A structured simulation case including objectives, roles, patient data, and planned progression.
Scenario Progression – How a scenario evolves based on learner actions, timing, or planned triggers.
SIMStation – The central software system used in the simulation lab to control scenarios, manage video and audio recording, and support debriefing and review.
Simulation – A structured educational activity that uses realistic scenarios, tools, or environments to replicate real-world situations for the purpose of learning, practice, or assessment without risk to real patients or systems.
Hybrid Simulation – A simulation that combines two or more modalities, such as a standardized patient with a task trainer or manikin.
In Situ Simulation – A simulation conducted in the actual clinical or practice environment rather than in a dedicated simulation lab.
Manikin-Based Simulation – A simulation that uses a physical patient simulator to represent a patient. Manikins may range from low-fidelity models to advanced computerized systems with physiological responses.
Standardized Patient (SP) Simulation – A simulation that uses trained individuals who consistently portray patients, family members, or roles according to a script. Often used for communication skills and assessment.
Virtual Simulation – A simulation delivered through computer-based or digital platforms, allowing learners to engage in scenarios remotely or asynchronously.
Simulated Medications – Any pharmaceutical products, replicas, or substitutes used within simulation scenarios to replicate medication administration for educational purposes. Simulated medications are strictly for training and assessment and must never be used for real patient treatment.
Simulated Patient – A person portraying a role in a simulation without strict requirements for consistency. Commonly used for formative learning.
Simulation Technician – Personnel responsible for operating simulation equipment, manikins, and AV systems.
Standardized Patient (SP) – A trained individual who consistently portrays a role according to a script. Often used for assessment due to reliability.
Standardized Patient Program – A structured system that recruits, trains, schedules, and evaluates standardized patients.
Summative Assessment – High-stakes evaluation used to judge competence or readiness for progression or certification.
Trigger – A planned event or cue that advances a scenario or prompts learner action.
Validity – The degree to which a simulation or assessment measures what it is intended to measure.