As part of the pilot programme education software company ADInstruments (ADI) and a leading United States-based manikin company have provided the polytechnic with resources and ''in kind'' assistance worth about $280,000.
This assistance included supplying two high-tech manikins - which could mimic breathing patterns and even had eyes that followed students around the room - to the polytechnic's School of Nursing free of charge for a year.
Polytechnic chief executive Phil Ker said, in a report to the polytechnic's council, the trial of the potentially ''world leading'' learning approach involved incorporating real patient scenarios in manikin-based simulations.
''This model integrates patient simulation, hands-on science and video case studies of real patients with reflective practice and competency development.''
ADI application support manager Chris Wright said the system used real patient videos filmed at Dunedin Hospital, which had previously been used in its LabTutor system, but not extended to manikins.
''The idea was that a student would learn about a patient beforehand, understand their history and why they were in the hospital in the first place and then the manikin-based simulation would be an acute version of their story,'' he said.
This made simulations more immersive and if the trial was successful, the system could be sold to other institutions world-wide.
The company saw a financial opportunity in the trial, but ADI's main motivation came from co-founder Prof Tony Macknight's passion for helping students treat ''the people, rather than the disease''.
''We are investing in this because we think there is a big future in the educational possibilities behind it,'' he said.
School of Nursing co-ordinator Raewyn Lesa said the new system would make it easier for students to retain knowledge and help prepare them for when they entered a real clinical setting.
