Midwifery students are challenged to learn complex clinical assessment concepts.

Animation has the potential to reduce cognitive load.

Virtual reality simulated environments can assist in understanding physiological complexities.

Nothing can replace good midwifery mentorship in clinical practice.

To create an education resource that assists students to understand the movement of the cervix during labour from a posterior retroverted position to a central location, cervical effacement, dilatation of the cervix and descent of the fetal skull.

Learning about anatomy and physiology in relation to cervical effacement and dilatation are abstract concepts that are difficult to understand from reading alone. Diagrams are of little assistance however 3D animation has the potential to improve students learning experiences.

Participatory Action Research (PAR) using the 7 C’s Feekery Framework approach was adopted. Participants became coresearchers in conceptualising the learning challenges, identifying solutions, creating, reviewing and making recommendations for modifications of the new resource.

Focus group interviews with coresearchers were recorded via Microsoft TEAMs. Interviews were analysed using descriptive qualitative analysis.

The final resource was a Power Point Presentation embedded with 2D images and 3D animations which illustrate the simulated environment of the pelvic anatomy and the physiology of the cervical changes in early labour.

The benefits of the new learning resource are that it can be presented synchronously by academics without the need for technology skills or accessed asynchronously by students without the need for other equipment. The resource incorporates a story of a woman in early labour which enables students to learn to understand complex concepts within a holistic case scenario.

An implementation evaluation study is needed to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the new supplementary teaching and learning resource.

Midwifery education

Clinical skills assessment

Cervical dilatation

Midwifery students

Participatory action research

Qualitative

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