Title: Assessment for Learning in Immersive and Virtual Environments (Code, PI; Zap, CoI)
The Assessment for Learning in Immersive Virtual Environments (ALIVE) project is a research program that examines how 3DIVEs enable student success through the provision of feedback while students are immersed in a real-world science inquiry investigation. This projectbuilds upon our previous research in immersive technologies for the summative assessment of science inquiry learning conducted at Harvard University (Code et al., 2011a, 2011b, 2011c, 2011d, 2012, 2013; Clarke-Midura et al., 2011a, 2011b, 2011c, 2011d, 2012a, 2012b) and our research in the areas of learner agency, self-efficacy, and self-regulated learning in video game environments (Code, 2010, 2013; Code & Zaparyniuk, 2010, 2011; Code & Zap, 2011, 2013, submitted; Zaparyniuk & Code, 2009; Zaparyniuk, 2007a, 2007b, 2015). This project will integrate and extend this work by exploring the use of 3DIVEs as a means to provide feedback through the formative assessment of inquiry reasoning in the context of middle school life science.Key research questions that will guide this two-year project investigates ways that the 3DIVE technology and log-file data, designed around a model of science inquiry, enables individual students to utilize feedback, and whether and how this affects their agency for learning (goal setting, motivation, self-regulation, and self-efficacy), and academic achievement.
Title: Unbundled Learning: Agency in Online Social Learning Networks for Education and Support – A Pilot Project with Heart Failure Patients (Code, PI)
Social media enables identity expression, exploration, and experimentation; something innate to the human experience. Over the past two decades, the proliferation and use of online social networking in mainstream society has grown exponentially. In Canada, as of 2016, over 93% of the population is connected to the Internet with more than 60% using the social network site Facebook™; usage that is mirrored in both the United States and the United Kingdom (de Argaez, 2017). Research into the application of social networks such as Facebook™ within and across disciplines reflects this mainstream growth. For example, a search of the Web of Science database using the keyword “social network” reveals that the number of articles on the topic has increased 600% over the last decade. With the proliferation of social networks enabled by the Internet, understanding the influence of powerful others in the expression of individual agency is of critical importance – especially when it comes to the education and social support of vulnerable populations such as those with chronic diseases including heart failure. Heart failure (HF) is one of the most common chronic conditions and reasons for hospitalizations in the world. HF occurs after the heart becomes damaged or weakened by an underlying cause, for example a virus or heart attack, and is a chronic progressive disease with no known cure. As the majority of time patients spend is outside formal clinical contexts, there is an opportunity to research how social media affects the education and support individuals with HF seek. To date, the majority of literature in the chronic disease spectrum focuses on provider or institutionally-driven education and support communities (Toma et al., 2014) and there is very little research on the HF patient use of social media platforms for facilitating education and social support (Widmer et al., 2017)
Title: Improving heart failure outcomes through apps that support self-management and adherence
(Code, Co-Investigator)
Heart failure is a common and complex heart condition that often results in admission to the hospital and an early death. People with heart failure need to follow strict diet and medication treatments. A common cause for admission to the hospital is not following the diet and medication advice. In this project, the research team will create apps to help patients better follow their diet and remind them to take their medications, as well as provide personalized advice and feedback to the patient on how well they are doing. This will help the patients and their doctors in knowing how well the instructions are followed, and where improvements need to be made. We will work with heart failure doctors, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists and patients to develop the apps. We will then have heart failure patients use the apps and research how well the apps are used. We will use the information from the research to make any needed improvements to the apps. When the project is finalized we will promote the use of the app for heart failure patients across Canada.
