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

只有28%的美国人被认为具有科学素养[1]，这是一个令人沮丧的数字，使72%的美国公民没有准备好理解重要问题的实质，如干细胞研究，全球变暖，数十亿美元的国防提案，以及他们自己的健康相关条件。需要加强教育工作，以提高国家的科学素养，并帮助更多的美国人跟上迅速发展的技术世界的步伐。为此，Terra Nova建议制作一个课程单元，旨在加强全国中学生的健康科学素养。虚拟医学博士：医学侦探课程（将通过虚拟医学博士：提高健康科学素养的电子学习工具SBIR赠款）将通过提供创新的、以发现为导向的、基于网络的教学和寻找现实问题解决方案的“探测型”过程，激发当今青少年的兴趣。扮演“虚拟医学博士”的角色。他说：“在研究以动画人物为代表的虚拟病人时，学生将运用科学方法分析症状，诊断与其年龄组别有关的主要人类疾病。他们将通过使用CT和MR图像以及交互式解剖图来了解正常和异常的解剖和生理学。该单位将通过扩展活动，形成性和总结性评估选项，与医疗保健专业人员的视频访谈，以及网络和印刷资源提供额外的学习机会。将提供一个全面的教师课程指南，沿着疾病情况说明，学生可以与家人分享。在第一阶段的资助项目，泰若村的课程开发人员与国家专家的工作，研究和设计整个虚拟医学博士大纲。该项目将研究儿童肥胖、1型糖尿病、哮喘和艾滋病等问题。该小组将制作一个关于儿童肥胖问题的单一网络原型模块，之后将由专家顾问对所有材料进行评估，并在至少70名不同的中学生中进行实地测试。这个引人入胜的软件程序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，提供健康生活的指导方针，并激发对追求医疗保健或研究事业的更大兴趣。通过虚拟MD Terra Nova致力于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“了解、检测、治疗和预防”各种疾病，并鼓励终身对科学领域的兴趣。只有28%的美国公民具备科学素养[1]，全国的注意力集中在确定提高美国人对关键科学概念的理解和欣赏的方法上-这样他们就可以对周围的世界做出更明智的决定。基于Web的虚拟医学博士：医学侦探教育单位响应这一倡议，为易受影响的中学学生提供一个创造性的、互动的、侦探式的过程，为现实生活中的健康问题找到科学的解决办法。通过让学生有机会担任“虚拟医学博士”的角色，“为了研究、诊断和治疗虚拟病人，该单位将通过以下方式促进公共卫生倡议：a）提高学生的卫生科学素养，B）为他们提供预防疾病发作的实用指南，c）使他们熟悉各种与卫生有关的职业选择，以及d）进一步激发对科学及其应用的终身好奇心。

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, multi-billion-dollar defense proposals, and 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. To that end, Terra Nova proposes to produce a curricular unit designed to strengthen the health science literacy of the nation's middle school students. The Virtual M.D.: Medical Sleuths curriculum (to be developed through the Virtual M.D.: e-Learning Tool for Improving Health Science Literacy SBIR grant) will stimulate the interest of today's adolescents by providing innovative, discovery-oriented, web-based instruction and a "detective-type" process for finding solutions to 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 symptoms as they diagnose key human diseases relevant to their age group. They will learn about normal and abnormal anatomy and physiology through the use of CT and MR images and interactive anatomical diagrams. The unit will provide additional opportunities for learning through extension activities, formative and summative assessment options, videotaped interviews with healthcare professionals, and web and print resources. A comprehensive teacher lesson guide will be provided, along with disease fact sheets that students can share with their families. During Phase I of this grant project, Terra Nova's curriculum development staff with work with national experts to research and design an outline for the entire Virtual M.D. program, which will examine the topics of childhood obesity, Type 1 diabetes, asthma, and HIV/AIDS. This team will produce a single web-based prototype module on the topic of childhood obesity, after which all materials will be evaluated by expert consultants and field-tested among a minimum of 70 diverse middle school students. This engaging software program 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. 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. 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 impressionable 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.