A Conceptual Model for an Intelligent Simulation-Based Learning Management System Using a Data Mining Agent in Clinical Skills Education

Clinical skills education is an essential component of the teaching plan in medical science courses, such as nursing education. Simulation-based learning is an effective teaching method in any practical or vocational-based training. The development of simulation-based teaching has been impacted by the integration of emerging technologies, such as Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs), which results in a more interactive and adaptive environment. Recently, educational data mining (EDM) has played an important role in the development of ITSs by providing different methods and techniques to predict a student's performance. Research carried out to deliver intelligent simulation-based systems for clinical skills teaching has applied several artificial intelligence techniques, however there is a lack of research that describes the use of the powerful methods and techniques available in EDM. This paper investigates and traces the technological developments of the most effective methods employed to promote learning in clinical skills education, particularly in nursing education, where skills acquisition is imperative for the provision of high quality care. To this end, we propose a conceptual model for an intelligent simulation-based learning system using a data mining agent in clinical skills education.