Sitepal Avatars in Public Health
Dr. Brian McFarlin is an Assistant Professor at the University of Houston in the Health and Human Performance Department. He is responsible for designing and implementing teaching and learning technologies. During the 2006-2007 school year Dr. McFarlin implemented a SitePal speaking avatar as an informational element within the curriculum for two of his classes, Public Health Issues in Physical Activity and Obesity and Physiology of Human Performance.
Dr. McFarlin reported that grades were 21% higher in the classes in which he employed learning technologies, including SitePal. He also received praise from his students, who said that the SitePal character was a welcome addition to the program and helped to better their learning experience.
The complete study is available here: http://cp20.com/Tracking/t.c?pvy-1OKa-45hjh6
The study was also published on Science Daily on March 25th, 2008. It can be seen here: http://cp20.com/Tracking/t.c?pvy-1OKb-45hjh7
Add comment April 11th, 2008