Innovating Skills Based Learning Through AI-Simulation in Paediatric Pain Education
Developing innovative educational tools with the potential for practical impact, requires more than new technology, it requires careful testing, iteration, and validation with the learners who will ultimately use them.
The Motivational Interviewing (MI) AI‑Immersion Lab has emerged as part of Paediatric Project ECHO’s ongoing efforts to advance skills‑based learning within paediatric pain education through the thoughtful use of emerging technologies.
Dr. Chitra Lalloo, Senior Research Associate, and Deiren Masterson, Digital Design Specialist, with their poster recognized with the Innovation in Knowledge Sharing Award at the Project ECHO Ontario Conference 2026.
This pilot project is an early marker of The SickKids Learning Institute’s responsible, evidence‑informed approach to AI integration and the opportunities it offers to extend skills‑based education into the area of precision learning. Extending Paediatric Project ECHO’s popular MI curriculum, and recognizing that motivational interviewing is a nuanced, conversational skill that can positively impact behavioural change, the expert team, led by Digital Design Specialist Deiren Masterson, focused first on understanding how immersive, AI‑supported learning experiences could be designed, tested, and refined to support practice in a safe, accessible way.
At the Project ECHO Ontario Conference in January 2026, a poster abstract titled Iterative Design of an AI‑Driven Immersive Education Module to Support Motivational Interviewing Practice in Paediatric Healthcare was presented by Dr. Chitra Lalloo and Deiren Masterson and selected as the winner of the Innovation in Knowledge Sharing Award. It shared findings from REB‑approved usability research and iterative design, highlighting how clinician feedback informed decisions related to learner flow, interaction design, feedback, and accessibility.
This stage of the project represents an important foundation—ensuring that the learning experience is usable, meaningful, and aligned with real clinical practice before broader implementation. The insights gained through this process are informing next steps in the module’s production toward its integration within Paediatric Project ECHO’s Pain Management curriculum.
