Inteleos Research Network: August 2026 Update

• Simulation-based testing is becoming central to how competency gets validated — this peer-reviewed framework gives assessment organizations a proven path to build it right, not from scratch.
• Our dashboard research found that educators don’t need more tools — they need training and institutional access to the ones they already have. That’s a different investment than most institutions assume.
• Reframing sonographer well-being around what helps people thrive — not just what reduces burnout — points toward a more sustainable path for the workforce long-term.

The IRN employs dedicated project-based teams who work with emerging technologies to design and execute pilot programs, and research the potential impacts of emerging educational and assessment solutions.

Simulation-Based Test (SBT) Framework:

• IRN and Inteleos developed a framework for building SBTs, grounded in industry best practice and adapted for SBT-specific needs. It’s now being shared with assessment and learning organizations, alongside a case study from ARDMS VR development.
  • Published by the CLEAR Journal of Professional Regulation: Cynthia G. Parshall, Ph.D.; Elizabeth Santana, MBA, CAE, CPTD, ICE-CCP; Kathy Kelly, MA, MS; Liesel Tavenner, MBA, PMP, CSPO, RDMS, RVT. “A Framework for Developing Simulation-Based Tests” and “In-Progress Healthcare Case Study Using the Simulation-Based Test Framework”, CLEAR Journal of Professional Regulation, Vol. 36, No. 1, Spring 2026.
  • Lead authors were invited to lead a webinar and QA session for the Association of Test Publishers’ Testing by Doing Committee in July.
• The SBT framework can guide other organizations considering the development of SBTs.

Healthcare Educator Dashboard Research:

• The 2025 Healthcare Educator Dashboard Research survey aimed to gather insights on how educators use dashboards to improve teaching and learning.
• Findings overview: Healthcare educators who use dashboards want to track clinical competency and progress over time. The ones who don’t use them are blocked by lack of training and institutional access — not by the tools themselves.

Student SPI Content Creation Pilot:

• This project provided a new opportunity for sonography students to earn up to 10 volunteer hours over a 45-day period. The project ended in December.
• Students enjoyed the opportunity, but administrative barriers created unforeseen complications. The project may be revisited in the future.

Inteleos/Vantari VR Research:

• Scoring Validation Project (SVP)
  • IRN and Measurement & Research team members are analyzing a second data set to correlate system-generated and volunteer subject-matter expert (SME) image ratings.
  • The results are being used to inform and refine scoring standards for the Vantari VR simulation-based assessments.
• Upcoming “Voice of Customer” Research
  • The IRN is leading efforts to collect user input on The Inteleos and Vantarii VR “My First Scan” (a tutorial) and the Abdominal Suite being released in early August for use throughout the fall semester.
  • We’re piloting a new research platform, www.indeemo.com, to better understand the user experience and collect on-the-ground real-time feedback.

Our featured Community Project is a study on sonographer well-being. This project seeks to examine psychological wellbeing within the sonography workforce from a positive psychology perspective. Help Parker Stanley, RDMS, RMSKS, RVT, a PhD candidate from Virginia Commonwealth University, shift the narrative from simply reducing burnout to understanding the conditions that enable healthcare professionals to thrive in their work.

Upcoming projects include OB/GYN VR Module Development, AB pathology development for VR, and additional Scoring Validation Projects to refine scoring algorithms. Credentialed Abdominal or OB/GYN SMEs: if you’re interested in getting involved, contact Liesel Tavenner.

The IRN is building sustainable research pipelines to support Inteleos’ commitment to education, assessment, innovation, technology validation, and volunteer engagement — aligning research pipelines with global healthcare learning and assessment priorities.