About KTS
The main objective of KTS project is to design, to develop and to validate a serious game and the supporting material in order to provide medical students and (novel) surgeons with an innovative ICT-based approach for training basic key psychomotor skills in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). The KTS serious game will be based on existing training tasks accomplished in a training box (denominated "box-trainer") so surgical skills training process will be enhanced through ICT. The results of the project will be in English and in the languages of the consortium partners to tailor the serious game to the different linguistic needs and increase its acceptance. Therefore with this multilateral project, innovative ICT-based contents, services, pedagogies and practices will be developed in the field of psychomotor surgical skills training within an EU approach. This will lead to the fact that medical students and (novel) surgeons will be provided with an ICT-enhanced training system based on serious games that will cut across traditional in-site training systems including open and distance learning and open educational resources. With the KTS project, medical students will have an earlier access to surgical training and (novel) surgeons will be able to train more hours without moving to specialized training centres, thus not only reducing time and costs, but also allowing for a more flexible approach to their training. Additionally, efforts will be made to introduce the serious game in the surgical training curricula.
KTS focuses on taking maximum advantage of innovative ICT-based solutions (in this case a serious game) to provide medical students and (novel) surgeons with basic skills for MIS. KTS project aims to provide distance learning options for surgical psychomotor skills. Expert knowledge and mentoring from specialized training centres will be accessible for trainees regardless their physical location, therefore reducing travel costs and time.
KTS project also aims to provide an evidence based experience on the application of serious games for the enhancement of key MIS skills. The evaluation and validation in a real life setting through the pilots will result in greater knowledge about the adequacy of serious gaming and ICT based learning will allow medical students and (novel) surgeons to train within non-formal and informal ICT based learning environments. Besides, the added-value and impact of ICT for MIS training will be concluded from these pilots.
Finally, the scope of the KTS project goes beyond of the mere use of the KTS serious game together with the box-trainer since it also aims to develop supporting web materials that will provide a broader access to MIS related learning. This target group is usually characterized by a great work load that requires flexible lifelong learning and innovative pedagogical developments.
Therefore with this multilateral project, innovative ICT-based contents, services, pedagogies and practices will be developed in the field of psychomotor surgical skills training within an EU approach. This will lead to the fact that medical students and (novel) surgeons will be provided with an ICT-enhanced training system based on serious games that will cut across traditional in-site training systems including open and distance learning and open educational resources.
With KTS project, medical students will have an earlier access to surgical training and (novel) surgeons will be able to train more hours without a need to move to specialized training centres, thus not only reducing time and costs, but also allowing for a more flexible approach to their training. Additionally, efforts will make to introduce serious games in the surgical training curricula.
- Uson J et al. Basic principles. In: Step by step training in laparoscopic surgery. 4th Edition. 2012. Centro de Cirugia de Minima Invasion Jesus Uson, Caceres, Spain
- Enciso Sanz S et al. Preliminary validation of the Simulap® physical simulator and its assessment system for laparoscopic surgery. Cir Esp. 2012; 90(1):38-44