Great work! Dr Amanda Edgar graduates from CRADLE

3 July 2025

Dr Amanda Edgar completes her PhD journey with CRADLE

Amanda’s thesis title is Professional Capabilities and Inclusive Virtual Simulation in Health Professional Education. Amanda was supervised by CRADLE’s Professor Margaret Bearman, and Dr Ryan Wood-Bradley and Professor James Armitage from Deakin’s School of Medicine.

Amanda graduated in June 2025 and is now working as a Senior Lecturer at Deakin University and is Chair of the Campus Learning Spaces working group. Amanda’s research focuses on how we can make higher education, especially health professional education, more inclusive and innovative.

We asked Amanda to describe the focus of her thesis and provide some reflections and highlights of her study experience.

What was the aim of your research?

My PhD by prior publication explored how virtual simulations can help future health professionals build the professional capabilities they need, especially in ways that support inclusion and diversity. In health professional education, we usually rely on clinical placements to develop these professional capabilities. But not all placements are equal, and some students miss out on key experiences. That’s where virtual simulation can help.

Through five published studies, I looked at if and how virtual simulations can offer learning opportunities to develop professional capabilities. For example, I explored how virtual simulations used in Australia and India helped students improve skills like diagnostic reasoning. The research also dug into how we can design these to promote diversity and inclusion.

In short, my work shows that virtual simulations aren’t just a backup for clinical placements, they may be one method that can developing our future health professionals’ capabilities to meet the needs of their patients. It may also be a method to promote diversity and inclusion, to the benefit of the learners themselves and the communities that they serve.

What were your publications?

• A cohort study for the development and validation of a reflective inventory to quantify diagnostic reasoning skills in optometry practice. BMC Medical Education Read article

• The perceived value and impact of virtual simulation-based education on students’ learning: a mixed methods study. BMC Medical Education Read article

• Virtual simulated international placements as an innovation for internationalisation in undergraduate programs: a mixed methods study. BMC Medical Education Read article

• Breaking boundaries and opening borders by clicking into an inclusive virtual simulated learning environment. Education and Information Technologies Read article

• Inclusivity in health professional education: how can virtual simulation foster attitudes of inclusion?. Advances in Simulation Read article

Any highlights from your PhD journey?

This PhD program I completed was a PhD by prior publication within 12 months. One of the most rewarding aspects of this journey was the opportunity to collaborate with the CRADLE team. Being part of this research community gave me the chance to connect with other PhD students and supervisors, share ideas, and learn from their diverse perspectives.

These experiences have shaped how I think about research, teaching, and academic leadership—and I look forward to bringing that with me as I continue to support students in my role. I was also fortunate to receive an A&E travel grant for PhD students, which allowed me to attend the EDEN conference in Austria. It was an incredible experience to present my findings, meet other researchers working in digital learning, and be part of global conversations about the future of education.

Where to from here?

I’m working as a Senior Lecturer at Deakin University and Chair of the Campus Learning Spaces working group. I’m passionate about creating learning environments, both physical and digital, that genuinely support students and staff. I’ve been lucky to work on some exciting projects in this space, and even received a QS Reimagine Education Award for innovation in digital learning.

My teaching approach is all about creativity, inclusion, and making learning meaningful. I’ve been honoured with awards like Deakin’s Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence and a national AAUT Citation, but what really drives me is seeing students thrive. My research focuses on how we can make higher education, especially health professional education, more inclusive and innovative. I’m particularly interested in how learning spaces can support diverse learners and improve outcomes. I’ve also led university-wide initiatives like the Learning Spaces project, which brings people together to rethink how we teach and learn.

Contact Amanda

• LinkedIn
• Link

• Read more about CRADLE's graduates and students

References

• Edgar, A. K., Ainge, L., Backhouse, S., Armitage, J. A. (2022). A cohort study for the development and validation of a reflective inventory to quantify diagnostic reasoning skills in optometry practice. BMC Medical Education, 22, 536. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03493-6

• Edgar, A. K., Macfarlane, S., Kiddell, E. J., Armitage, J. A., & Wood-Bradley, R. J. (2022). The perceived value and impact of virtual simulation-based education on students’ learning: a mixed methods study. BMC Medical Education, 22, 823. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03912-8

• Edgar, A. K., Armitage, J. A., Arambewela-Colley, N., Chong, L. X., & Naryanan, A. (2023). Virtual simulated international placements as an innovation for internationalisation in undergraduate programs: a mixed methods study. BMC Medical Education, 23, 258. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04260-x

• Edgar, A. K., Armitage, J. A., Chong, L. X., Arambewela-Colley, N., & Naryanan, A. (2024). Breaking boundaries and opening borders by clicking into an inclusive virtual simulated learning environment. Education and Information Technologies, 29, 12413–12433. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12369-1

• Edgar, A. K., Tai, J. & Bearman, M. (2024). Inclusivity in health professional education: how can virtual simulation foster attitudes of inclusion?. Advances in Simulation, 9, 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-024-00290-7