Virtual M.D.: e-Learning Tool for Improving Health Science Literacy

描述（由申请人提供）：只有28%的美国人被认为具有科学素养，这是一个令人痛心的数字，这使得72%的美国公民在理解诸如干细胞研究、全球变暖或他们自己的健康状况等重要问题的实质方面准备不足。需要加强教育工作来提高国家的科学素养，帮助更多的美国人跟上快速发展的技术世界的步伐。泰若公司建议将第一阶段原型的成功研究和开发扩展到生产一个引人入胜的软件程序，以加强中学生的健康科学素养。利用高度互动的技术和基于证据的内容，基于网络的“虚拟医学博士：医学侦探”最终产品项目（为“虚拟医学博士：提高健康科学素养的电子学习工具”资助项目开发）将通过互动教学和“侦探式”的过程来寻找当代现实世界问题的解决方案，从而激发当今中学生的兴趣。学生将以“虚拟医学博士”的身份，研究以动画人物为代表的“虚拟病人”，运用科学的方法分析体征和症状，诊断与青少年相关的主要人类疾病。这种引人入胜的学习方法将促进对几种重要疾病的准确理解，提高科学分析和研究技能，提供健康生活指南，并激发追求医疗保健或研究事业的更大兴趣。第二阶段广泛而长期的目标是完全开发和严格测试完整的虚拟医学博士：医学侦探互动程序，最终传播到全国各地的中学。第二阶段将实现的具体目标是：目标1——扩大在第一阶段制定和验证的研究和教学设计计划，开发一种互动式中学软件工具，传播有关青少年肥胖、1型糖尿病、哮喘和艾滋病毒/艾滋病的健康和科学信息；AIM 2 -制作所有课程材料，包括基于网络的虚拟模拟、在线学习社区、职业亮点视频、评估组件和配套材料；AIM 3 -通过定量、定性和描述性评估措施，包括专家顾问小组评审和全面的现场测试评估，彻底评估所有第二阶段可交付成果。通过虚拟医学单元，Terra Nova寻求支持国家研究资源中心的公共卫生使命，即通过以发现为导向的工具，促进K-12学生的科学素养，提供教育，帮助人们“理解、检测、治疗和预防”广泛的疾病，并鼓励对科学领域的终身兴趣。二期最终产品项目将填补中学市场未满足的需求，并有助于NCRR提供教育工具以提高公众健康科学素养的使命。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Only 28% of all Americans are considered scientifically literate [1], a distressing figure that leaves 72% of U.S. citizens ill-prepared to comprehend the substance of important issues such as stem cell research, global warming, or their own health-related conditions. Enhanced educational efforts are needed to improve the nation's scientific literacy and help more Americans keep pace with the rapidly evolving technological world. Terra Nova proposes to extend the successful research and development of the Phase I prototype, to produce an engaging software program that will strengthen the health science literacy of middle school students. Utilizing highly interactive technologies and evidence-based content, the web-based Virtual M.D.: Medical Sleuths end-product program (developed for the Virtual M.D.: e-Learning Tool for Improving Health Science Literacy grant project) will be designed to stimulate the interest of today's middle school students through interactive instruction and a "detective-type" process for finding solutions to contemporary real-world problems. Taking on the persona of a "virtual M.D." to study "virtual patients" represented by animated characters, students will apply the scientific method to analyze signs and symptoms to diagnose key human diseases relevant to adolescents. This engaging method of learning will promote an accurate understanding of several important diseases, improve scientific analytical and research skills, offer guidelines for healthy living, and inspire a greater interest in pursuing a healthcare or research career. The broad, long-term objective for Phase II is to completely develop and rigorously test the complete Virtual M.D.: Medical Sleuths interactive program for eventual dissemination to middle schools across the country. The Specific Aims to be met during Phase II are: AIM 1 - Expand the research and instructional design plan developed and validated in Phase I, for an interactive middle school software tool that will communicate health and scientific information about adolescent obesity, Type 1 diabetes, asthma, and HIV/AIDS; AIM 2 - Produce all program materials including the web-based virtual simulation, an online learning community, Career Highlight videos, assessment components, and companion materials; and AIM 3 - Thoroughly evaluate all Phase II deliverables through quantitative, qualitative, and descriptive assessment measures including Expert Consultant Group reviews and a comprehensive Field Test Evaluation. Through the Virtual M.D. unit, Terra Nova seeks to support the National Center for Research Resources' public health mission of promoting scientific literacy among K-12 students through discovery-oriented tools, provide education to help people "understand, detect, treat, and prevent" a wide range of diseases, and encourage lifelong interest in the field of science. The Phase II end-product program will both fill an unmet need in the middle school market, as well as contribute to NCRR's mission of providing an educational tool to improve the public's health science literacy. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: With only 28% of U.S. citizens qualifying as scientifically literate [1], national attention is sharply focused on identifying methods to improve Americans' understanding of and appreciation for key scientific concepts - so they may make better-informed decisions about the world around them. The proposed web-based Virtual M.D.: Medical Sleuths educational unit responds to this initiative by providing students at the middle school level with a creative, interactive, detective-type process for finding scientific solutions to real-life health problems. By giving students the opportunity to serve in the role of a "virtual M.D." to study, diagnose, and treat virtual patients, the unit will promote public health initiatives by: a) improving students' health science literacy, b) providing them with practical guidelines for preventing the onset of disease, c) familiarizing them with a variety of health-related career options, and d) further inspiring a lifelong curiosity about science and its applications.