This blog reflects the views of the author. The Council of Deans of Health has a wide membership and set of partnerships with a range of opinions that do not necessarily constitute formal positions of the Council. We value that diversity of thought and experience.
Danny Clegg, an Autistic-ADHD Allied Health Professional (AHP) academic at London South Bank University (LSBU), has been at the forefront of innovation in digital pedagogy, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). In this blog, Danny shares the journey of creating the Pre-Preceptorship Virtual Campus, a groundbreaking initiative that integrates EDI principles into virtual learning spaces, ensuring accessibility, inclusivity, and relevance for healthcare students across the UK.
Building a Virtual Campus with Inclusion at its Core
The rapid advancement of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), coupled with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), has revolutionised the way we approach education. Yet, despite these technological leaps, EDI considerations are often an afterthought rather than an integral part of development.
As an educator driven by technology and innovation, I knew that if I was going to create a virtual world, it had to be designed with EDI in its DNA, not just as a bolt-on. I wanted to ensure that every aspect—from navigation to content delivery—reflected principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), anti-racist pedagogy, and radical inclusion. This was not just about innovation for the sake of novelty; it was about equity by design.
From Inspiration to Innovation
My journey into virtual worlds started with a transformative experience exploring the Anti-Racist Wales virtual world, developed by Metaverse Learning in collaboration with Cardiff and Vale College and the Welsh Government. What was meant to be a quick 30-minute exploration turned into 12 hours of deep engagement. I was captivated by how it challenged dominant perspectives—redefining concepts like world maps, calendars, and even hair and beauty norms through a decolonial lens. It wasn’t just a virtual space; it was a learning experience that changed me.
That experience solidified my conviction: virtual learning could (and should) be a tool for rethinking entrenched narratives in education. When I was later asked by the Anti-racist Wales project team to contribute by developing my pre-existing Diverse Dermatology project in that same virtual world, I knew this was just the beginning of what could be achieved.
The Anti-Racist Wales virtual world is currently accessible to all, available at: https://www.antiracism.wales/
Screenshot 1 – The Anti-racist Curriculum Zone in the Anti-racist Wales Virtual World
The Birth of the Pre-Preceptorship Campus Virtual World
The Pre-Preceptorship Campus emerged from a collaboration between London South Bank University (LSBU), CapitalAHP, the NHS Step to Work Programme, and key leaders including Rachel Picton (Dean of Allied and Community Health, LSBU) and Michelle Simon (Preceptorship Lead, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust). With support from the London Higher Education Group (LHEG), and both Aby Mitchell & Benham Jafari Salim (King’s College London), I saw an opportunity to create a truly inclusive virtual learning experience for final-year health profession students – and not just Allied Health, but Nursing & Midwifery too.
Screenshot 2 – The Pre-Preceptorship Campus Virtual World Logo
The challenge? Designing a virtual campus that wasn’t just accessible but actively welcoming to students who are often excluded from digital learning spaces. This meant embedding EDI considerations from the outset:
- Prioritising accessibility: Testing on low-spec devices with minimal internet bandwidth to avoid exacerbating digital poverty.
- Utilising colour theory: High-contrast and complementary colour schemes to support users with scotopic sensitivity, impaired vision, or colour blindness.
- Enhancing navigation: Designing intuitive pathways that guide users naturally through the virtual space.
- Embedding assistive technologies: Verbatim captions in videos, audio descriptions for visual elements, and AI-generated voices for those who prefer or require non-text-based learning.
- Engaging diverse voices: Consulting students, NHS trusts, the Council of Deans, and anti-racism experts to co-create content that is truly representative.
- Rethinking storytelling: Using animated characters and AI-generated voiceovers to showcase Preceptorship testimonials in ways that respect contributors’ preferences and cultural sensitivities.
Screenshot 3 – The Pre-Preceptorship Campus Virtual World Forecourt
Key Lessons and Reflections
This project reinforced critical insights about embedding EDI in educational innovation:
- Inclusion must be foundational, not an afterthought. A truly accessible virtual world requires intentional design from day one, not retrofitted solutions.
- Technology evolves, but principles remain. AI and VR tools will continue to advance, making content creation more accessible, but ethical and inclusive design choices remain the cornerstone of meaningful learning experiences.
- Engagement requires intersectional thinking. The most marginalised learners should be the benchmark for design, not the exception. If we build for them, we build better for everyone.
- Collaboration is key. No single perspective is enough—diverse voices bring depth, ensuring innovation is both ethical and impactful.
- Never let enthusiasm get in the way of fairness. Even knowing there would be a budget of £0 for digital resources or buy-out for my time building all content in the virtual world from scratch, I would not be beaten. I was determined to prove to myself I could do this and show others the HUGE potential for the project. However, now backed by a proof of concept and following a much-needed “stop doing things for free because you’re passionate” talk with a highly respected colleague, I have learned to temper my enthusiasm until further funding is in place!
Screenshot 4 – The Pre-Preceptorship “Learning Zones”
A Future of Possibilities
The Pre-Preceptorship Virtual Campus is more than a digital project—it is a vision of what education should look like when designed through an inclusive lens. It has demonstrated that with the right foundations, technology can be a tool for equity, not just efficiency.
As educators, we stand at a crossroads. Technology is evolving at a pace that outstrips traditional pedagogical frameworks. But if we anchor ourselves in principles of EDI, UDL, and radical inclusion, we can ensure that our innovations don’t just keep up with the future—they shape it.
Now if we could just find the funders to continue growing the project…!
Screenshot 5 – The Pre-Preceptorship Campus Auditorium (used to deliver “Supporting Autistic and Neurodivergent Students & Employees” CPD programme to learners and staff across multiple physical and online locations in the UK, as part of Disability History Month (DHM) 2024