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Games and simulations to solidify concepts and practice safely

Mary Northum • September 27, 2025

games-and-simulations

Use simulations and game-like practice to make abstract ideas concrete and safe to try—before state boards and externships. The picks below cover virtual patients, physics sims, virtual labs, and radiography-specific practice, so you can match the right fidelity to the right learning goal (e.g., exposure math, safety, positioning, image chain concepts). Everything here favors quick start, clear feedback, and sensible costs or trials.

Body Interact virtual patient simulator for clinical reasoning


Website: Body Interact

Body Interact is a cloud-based virtual patient simulator with a large, expert-reviewed case library across many therapeutic areas. Students make time-pressured decisions, order tests, position patients, and see consequences—excellent for practicing clinical reasoning and teamwork in a safe environment. Educators can assign scenarios, monitor analytics, and review auto-graded feedback via the platform’s educator tools (BI Studio). Institutions typically license Body Interact; there are also targeted student offerings and trials you can explore before adoption.

For LMRT: use respiratory distress, trauma, or contrast-reaction scenarios to rehearse assessment flow, patient positioning choices, and safety steps, then debrief with the system’s feedback.

Trade-offs: Body Interact is premium software, and best leveraged when mapped to specific course outcomes and scheduled debriefs.

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PhET Interactive Simulations free, browser-based physics sims


Website: PhET

PhET (University of Colorado Boulder) offers free, inquiry-driven simulations for physics and other STEM areas—great for building intuition about waves, radiation, circuits, and measurement without extra software.

For LMRT: Assign Alpha Decay or wave/EM-spectrum sims to anchor short explorations, then add 2–3 questions to connect the sim to radiation safety, exposure, or image quality. PhET provides teacher tips, planning guides, and workshops that show how to frame pre-briefs, exploration time, and debrief prompts for homework or class. Because sims run in modern browsers, they embed easily in an LMS and support self-paced discovery with instant visual feedback.

Pros: free, fast, visual; easy to pair with short checks.
Cons: lower fidelity than clinical sims—use for conceptual grounding, not procedure practice.

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Labster virtual labs with scenarios, quizzes, and LMS integration

Website: Labster

Labster provides 3D, story-driven virtual labs that blend theory explanations with hands-on tasks and embedded quiz questions—students must answer correctly to progress. It integrates with common LMSs for roster sync and grade pass-back and includes dashboards for instructor monitoring. Pricing is institutional, with plan tiers; one public plan example offers access to 10 labs for up to 50 students and LMS integration, plus a free trial to evaluate fit.

For LMRT: Choose physics/measurement or radiation-related labs to connect exposure concepts to practice, then follow with a brief live application or worksheet.

Pros: Immersive sequences, built-in checks, analytics.
Cons: Cost requires program-level buy-in. Align carefully so labs reinforce your specific outcomes.

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ASRT Radiography Simulators positioning & collimation practice (student or institutional)

Website: ASRT Radiography Simulators

ASRT (American Society of Radiologic Technologists) offers a set of 30 web-based simulators (powered by Ziltron) focused on radiography—review anatomy, practice collimation and positioning, and receive instant feedback. There are student and institutional options; educator FAQs explain access, browser compatibility, projection in class, and annual access details. "Student" includes LMRT/Institutional as well as Continuing Education.

For LMRT: Assign a weekly simulator that pairs with your current body region, then ask learners to screenshot and reflect on errors the sim flagged. These modules bridge classroom learning with clinical experience by letting students rehearse technique safely and repeatedly.

Pros: Radiography-specific content, immediate formative feedback. Cons: Paid access (member discounts available). Best results come when paired with brief coaching or debrief prompts.

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