The COVID-19 crisis has caused a number of significant challenges to the higher education sector. Universities worldwide have been forced to rapidly transition to online delivery, working at home, and disruption to research while concurrently facing the longer-term impacts in institution financial reform. Here, the impact of COVID-19 on academic staff in the medical radiation science (MRS) teaching team at Charles Sturt University are explored. While COVID-19 imposes potentially the greatest challenge many of us will experience in our personal and professional lifetimes, it also affords the opportunity to objectively re-evaluate and, where appropriate, re-design learning and teaching in higher education. Technology has allowed rapid assimilation to online learning environments with additional benefits that allow flexible, mobile, agile, sustainable, culturally safe and equitable learning focussed educational environments in the post-COVID-19 “new normal”.

IntroductionClinical learning experiences for sonography and medical imaging students can sometimes involve the practice of technical procedures with less of a focus on developing communication skills with patients. Whilst patient-based simulation scenarios have been widely reported in other health education programmes, there is a paucity of research in sonography and medical imaging.The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of Mask-Ed™ (KRS Simulation) in the learning and teaching of clinical communication skills to undergraduate medical sonography and medical imaging students. Mask-Ed™ (KRS Simulation) is a simulation technique where the educator is hidden behind wearable realistic silicone body props including masks.MethodsFocus group interviews were conducted with 11 undergraduate medical sonography and medical imaging students at CQUniversity, Australia. The number of participants was limited to the size of the cohort of students enrolled in the course. Prior to these interviews participants were engaged in learning activities that featured the use of the Mask-Ed™ (KRS Simulation) method. Thematic analysis was employed to explore how the introduction of Mask-Ed™ (KRS Simulation) contributed to students' learning in relation to clinical communication skills.ResultsKey themes included: benefits of interacting with someone real rather than another student, learning made fun, awareness of empathy, therapeutic communication skills, engaged problem solving and purposeful reflection.ConclusionsMask-Ed™ (KRS Simulation) combined with interactive sessions with an expert facilitator, contributed positively to students' learning in relation to clinical communication skills. Participants believed that interacting with someone real, as in the Mask-Ed characters was beneficial. In addition to the learning being described as fun, participants gained an awareness of empathy, therapeutic communication skills, engaged problem solving and purposeful reflection.

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