Summary:

In this episode of Acadicus Simulation Pulse Live, Jon Brouchoud, Rick Castille, and Bill Ballo discuss reigniting the Acadicus Community of Practice to better connect users and facilitate knowledge sharing. They reflect on the importance of collaboration among institutions using Acadicus for simulation-based education and brainstorm ways to create a stronger network of users.

The discussion highlights how past community-driven events, such as cross-institutional mock codes and collaborative content development, have led to breakthroughs in simulation training. The team acknowledges that while Pulse Live is an excellent resource, many educators and simulation specialists need a structured, predictable meeting format to engage with peers effectively.

To address this, they plan to bring back the Community of Practice meetings, likely on a monthly or quarterly basis, with a renewed focus on user-driven discussion and innovation sharing.

Episode Highlights:

• Challenges in Building a Simulation Community:
  • Many educators and simulation specialists are too busy to attend weekly sessions.
  • Pulse Live is an open forum, but a more structured approach is needed to facilitate deeper user-to-user connections.
  • Many users are doing incredible work but don’t know what others are building, missing opportunities to collaborate.
• Successful Past Collaborations That Showcase the Power of Community:
  • Cross-institutional mock codes with NWTC, InHealth, and DuPont Children’s Hospital.
  • Development of the VR crash cart – Early users saved budget by waiting for Acadicus to develop a standardized asset rather than commissioning custom work.
  • Expansion of learning labs and micro-learning simulations, pioneered by Dr. Slayman and others.
• Reviving the Acadicus Community of Practice:
  • Quarterly or Monthly Meetings: A more predictable cadence to encourage broader participation.
  • Focused Agendas: Structured “roundtable” discussions where users can share:
    • What they’re currently working on.
    • Challenges they need help with.
    • Upcoming features and requests.
  • Live In-VR Meetings: A future event where attendees meet inside Acadicus itself to explore each other’s work in real-time.
  • Better Communication & Coordination:
    • A centralized calendar for users to plan ahead.
    • Early notifications and newsletters to increase awareness.
    • Encouraging more peer-to-peer mentoring to help new users onboard faster.
• Leveraging Asynchronous VR for Training Expansion:
  • Institutions investing in VR labs should maximize headset usage by making content available for independent study, not just live simulations.
  • Lecture integration – Using VR for pre-recorded instructional sessions and interactive theory-based learning.
  • Converting 3D recordings into 2D content for broader student access via YouTube or LMS platforms.

This episode emphasizes the tremendous untapped potential of a strong Acadicus user network. By reviving structured user meetings, increasing visibility of ongoing projects, and encouraging collaboration, the platform can continue to grow as a shared space for medical and healthcare simulation innovation.