1.     Clarifying Objectives, Roles, Environment – Research indicates that when learners have control, they are more likely to engage. Therefore, clarifying the learning objectives is important. It is even better to be able to link the objectives to the Learner’s interests by explaining how they relate to their future careers. The roles that the learner plays and the environment they are in should be acknowledged and linked to the realities of their future jobs.

2.     Discussing Logistic details. Covering appropriate details such as the starting and stopping time of the session, breaks, how to handle pages, texting, e-mail, social media, telephone calls, transportation, refreshments, whether they will have enough time to get to their next class or shift, and so on prevents distraction and worry and helps learners focus on issues within the simulation.

3.     Formative or Summative assessment. The educator should explain whether the simulation is formative and not formally assessed or summative and for assessment.

4.     Discussing Confidentiality. Educators can build trust with the Learners by informing them who will be observing their practice (e.g. peers, researchers, clinical experts) and whether their actions / performance will be shared with others. In most cases Learners should be assured that their actions are confidential, except in the case of summative assessment.

5.     Establishing a Fiction Contract. A fiction contract is a form of psychological contract that describes what educators and learners owe each other and should expect of each other to have a successful encounter. In the case of a simulation, the Educator offers to do what they can to make the simulation as real as possible, but also acknowledges the limitations of the simulation. The Educator seeks a voluntary commitment from the learner that they do what they can to act as though the simulation is real.

6. Conveying the respect you have for the Learner and the Learning Process. Openly discussing the importance of mistakes in the learning process, and that learners will not be ridiculed or punished for making them in the learning environment.