Project-Based Learning for Interactive Education in

Virtual Worlds

Susan Toth-Cohen, PhD, OTR/LProfessor, Department of Occupational Therapy

Jefferson School of Health ProfessionsThomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia PA

Poster session June 27, 2011

Project Based Learning CycleSecond Life Community Education Team, Occupational Therapy

Center at Jefferson in Second Life and the Garden of Healthy Aging

Faculty Susan Toth-Cohen (Center)1st year OT students Veronica Souter (L) and

Kaitlin Rodriguez (R)

2nd year students (from L): Alyssa Sariano,Kathryn Kokoszka, Elizabeth Vanderlaan

What is Project Based Learning?

…an educational approach that focuses on group work performed in teams, that extends over time, incorporates key milestones, and includes formative evaluation (Donnelly & Fitzmaurice, 2005). Students work together in teams to create and present educational materials that are based on research, present information in a user-friendly way—skills that they will use in their future careers as occupational therapists. They also participate in giving and receiving feedback from peers and the faculty advisor.

Students put the finishing touches on an exhibit they planned over a semester, Mental Health: Beyond Stigma

What is Second Life? What are we doing there?Students working on the project explain it this way: Second Life® is a virtual world that allows you to create an avatar to represent yourself and use that avatar to meet other people & explore different events and communities. In Second Life® you have the option to change your appearance, attend classes, participate in meetings and groups, and build virtual objects. For some people Second Life® provides opportunities for social interaction and isa way to meet people who have similar interests. Second Life® also provides a creative outlet for many people. Second Life© allows us to use pictures, videos, and other interactive materials to help us present information to our visitors and gives us a unique way to reach out to people we otherwise may not have the opportunity to meet. We can provide people information and resources about different OT topics such as mental health, caring for older adults, and how to incorporate universal design into their home environments. As students we learn how to present information to reach a wide range of people and interact with people from all over the world. This unique opportunity allows us to become comfortable educating people and answering questions.

Collaborative Process in Project Based Learning

• Continual process of peer/student, faculty, and consultant feedback

• Weekly meetings to brainstorm exhibits and further develop resources (including wiki that accompanies Healthy Aging exhibits)

• Synthesis of expert feedback to refine exhibits

Brainstorming best way to representmain exhibit concept – Rowe andKahn’s (1999) model of successfulaging.

Types of Interactive ExhibitsModels

SL and RLResources

Holodeck enabling visitor to change scenes and see ways to adapt environment for person with dementia

Videos

Models, quizzes, objects that“talk,”and links to real life & Second Life resources

Adapted home showing simple ways to set up the home to accommodate challenges in mobility, cognition, and low vision

Events and Tours

Students create presentations on the topic developed with the team and provide tours of exhibits related to the presentation—or create new exhibits to complement the presentation they designed. Shown: Universal design presentation May 2011.

Example of Project Based Learning Process:

The Garden of Healthy AgingExhibit and Descriptive Study

Student-developed exhibit on “Living with Diabetes” created for the Garden of Healthy Aging Project

What is the Garden of Healthy Aging?

An interactive exhibit on healthy aging focused on strategies for maintaining and improving health as one grows older 8 main topics:

Stress management Spirituality and religious

practices Living with diabetes Healthy heart Healthy caregiving Healthy activity Social support

What is the purpose?

Provide education and immersive experience for residents of Second Life

Provide training to occupational therapy students on health communications and interactive design principles for use in virtual environments

Evaluate the utility of using virtual worlds for interactive health communication on healthy aging, for possible use as a preventive health program for adults >50

What is the basis of the exhibit?• Derived from Rowe and Kahn’s

(1999) famous work, Successful Aging

• Each exhibit based on current research and provides information and links to actual studies through wiki, http://otsl.pbworks.com/

• Uses interactive design principles for virtual environments (The TechVirtual)

• Each exhibit idea developed by graduate students in Occupational Therapy at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and reviewed by experts

Schematic adapted from Rowe, J. & Kahn, J.(1999) Successful Aging. New York: Basic Books

Conceptand Links to Components of Successful/ HealthyAging

Figure derived from:

Rowe & Kahn, 1999, p. 39

Maintain highcognitive and physical function

Successful/healthy agingEngage/Participate

in life

Avoid disease Avoid worseningof chronic disease

Living with diabetes Heart health Care for the caregiver

Healthy activity Social support Spirituality &religious practices

Healthy activity Future of healthy aging

How does your garden grow?(neuroplasticity)

Descriptive Study Exploring

Responses of Visitors to the

Garden of Healthy Aging

Garden of Healthy Aging Exhibit and Descriptive Research Project

Social support;spirituality

Living withdiabetes

Caregiving; healthy activity

Heart health;Stress management

3 paid GA’s join

project;Assist

exhibit development

N=18

Initiation of Alzheimer’s Caregiver support groupbased on findings

Further content development

IRB (Ethics Board) Process

• Initial program evaluation for the OT Center at Jefferson in Second Life (Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, 2009) was approved as exempt study in Fall 2008

• Healthy Aging exhibit expansion and pilot with older adult participants was approved as addendum September 2009, conducted March 2010

Summary of Methods: Descriptive Study

• Pilot with 18 participants, aged 50-69• Went through of the 8 main stations of the exhibit• Took a picture of self at each station and emailed to

researcher (built in photo-email)• Took survey (knowledge and response to exhibit)• Participated in an optional interview

Contact the author for more information on study results. Manuscript in process for submission to The Gerontologist

Resources and Additional Information• Second Life website, http://secondlife.com• Second Life Contact: IM Zsuzsa Tomsen• Journal of Virtual Worlds Research,

http://jvwresearch.org/index.php/past-issues/22-health-and-healthcare (July-Aug 2009 has program evaluation of the OT Center at Jefferson in Second Life)

• Project Blog, http://otsecondlife.wordpress.com/• YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/DrZsuzsa?feature=mheeReferences on Project Based Learning• Donnelly, R. & Fitzmaurice, M. (2005). Collaborative project-based learning and

problem-based learning in higher education: A consideration of tutor and student roles in learner-focused strategies. In: Emerging Issues in the Practice of University Learning and Teaching. O’Neill, G., Moore, S., McMullin, B. (Eds). Dublin: AISHE.

• -Doppelt, Y. (2003). Implementation and assessment of project based learning in a flexible environment.International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 13, 255–272.

• Edutopia, 2001. PBL Research Summary: Studies validate project based learning, accessed October 13, 2010 from: http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-research

• Grant, M.M. (2002). Getting a grip on project based learning: Theory, cases, and recommendations. Meridian: A Middle School Computer Technologies Journal, 5(1), accessed October 13, 2010 from http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/win2002/514/3.html

• Toth-Cohen, S., Mitchell, P. (2009). Second Life ® project development as a venue for interdisciplinary collaboration. In: D. Russell (Ed.) Collaborative Virtual Learning Environments: Processes and Interactions. Hershey, PA: IGA Global