This document discusses using virtual worlds like Second Life to foster health information literacy. It describes several projects using Second Life for health education and literacy. A health literacy exhibit and quiz was created in Second Life by Marrapodi. Barrios created Spanish language health information resources in Second Life. Webber created a Health Information Literacy Corner. Virtual worlds allow global outreach, interactive content, and opportunities for education, entertainment and professional development around health topics.

1. Fostering
health
information
literacy through
use of a virtual
world
Sheila Webber, Information School, University of Sheffield, UK
Elisabeth Jacobsen Marrapodi, Trinitas Regional Medical Center, USA
Rossana I. Barrios, Biblioteca Conrado F. Asenjo, University of Puerto Rico
LILAC conference, London, April 2011

2. Outline
• Second Life & Health Literacy
• Marrapodi: a health literacy exhibit and quiz in SL
• Barrios: Spanish Language health information
literacy in SL
• Webber: Health Information Literacy Corner on
Infolit iSchool
• Conclusions

3. Second Life (SL), a Virtual World (VW)
• VW = persistent, multiuser, avatars, networked
• 3-D VW world, owned by (& trademark of) Linden Lab
• Avatars- 3D representation of yourself – free to signup
• Most things created by SL residents: SL fashion
designers, architects, bakers, animal makers …. real
economy in SL
• Need to download SL browser & have good broadband
connection & computer graphics card
• Communication through text chat, Voice and Instant
Messaging
• C. 70,000 people online simultaneously,
international, wide age range

4. Medical/ health use “I was not so
• Kirriemuir (2010) notes is a key subject confronting, but it
puts you in that
area for education in virtual worlds situation. You still
wanted to solve
• Low risk, can be lower cost, and evidence that problem and
of engagement fix that patient so
you really got
• Simulations, communications, diagnosis, drawn into the
whole situation.”
anatomy, health education (e.g. McCallum student quoted in
et al, 2010; Wiecha, 2010) Rogers (2009:
885)
“3-D virtual worlds provide users with a more
immersive and socially interactive experience, as
well as a feeling of embodiment that has the
potential to facilitate the clinical communication
process.” Gorini (2008)

5. What is Health Literacy?
• Health Literacy is about
being able to:
– Read
– Understand
– Act
– Why outreach in VR?

6. Health Literacy
in the Virtual
World of
Second Life
Elisabeth Jacobsen Marrapodi,
Library Director This research project has been
partially funded with Federal funds
Trinitas Regional Medical Center from the National Library of Medicine,
Elizabeth, New Jersey USA National Institutes of Health,
Department of Health and Human
Services, under Contract No. NO1-
2010 Research Award LM-6-3501 with New York University
MLA/Hospital Libraries Section

7. Study: Can Online Interactive Games
Improve Health Literacy?
The Research Team:
Team Leader: Medical Librarian
Advisors: Cardiology, Neurology &
Education Nurses Targeted Topics:
Intern: 2nd Year MLS Student Heart Attack
Stroke
Teaching Objective: Offer fun, Medical Terminology
educational, interactive Consumer Health
Literacy quizzes using web 2.0 and a Target Populations: local community
virtual platform (Second Life) to increase to global outreach
public awareness about signs and
symptoms on selected health topics Numbers:
Website quizzes = 491
Website survey responses = 59
Study Timeline: January 2010 – January Second Life quizzes = 654
2011 Second Life survey responses = 197

8. Advantages of online interactive games
For the Consumer: For the Educator:
• Private, anonymous • Inexpensive
• Learn at your own pace • Where your customers
• Accessible 24/7 are
• Fun • Maximum outreach

9. The Virtual World of Second Life
HealthInfo Island

10. Traveling Mini-Exhibits in Second Life

17. Obstacles

18. Health Literacy Prototype for Hispanic Populations in Second Life ™
Rossana I. Barrios (PI Illios) Conrado F. Asenjo Library, UPR-RCM
Spanish-language tutorials and information on
selected health issues, links to health sites, and
meeting space for instructional events.

19. …y los
Hispanic
Population in
Second Life

20. Hispanic Population in SL
• Educational Purposes
• Entertainment / Leisure
• Business
• Economic problems / unemployment
• Creativity
• Curiosity
• Health problems
• Caregivers
• Isolated
• Others

21. Addressing Information Needs
• This community has
information needs
and might seek for
it in-world.
• …but it is usually in
other languages.

22. Spanish Language Speakers
• Every racial or ethnic group has specific
health problems. The differences in
health may result from:
– Genetic factors
– Environmental factors
– Access to medical care
– Cultural factors
Medline Plus Español

23. The main health sciences information resource center on the
Island and is considered to have the most complete collection of
its kind in the Caribbean. Collection and services support all
health related academic programs.
Conrado F. Asenjo Library
University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus

24. Conrado F. Asenjo Library
University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus
Public university
library: As a resource
library under the
National Network of
Libraries of Medicine,
the institution is
committed to providing
and promoting use
and access to
information resources
and databases among
health professionals in
the community, both
individually and
through affiliated
institutions.
Information Services
for the Public: The
Library provides
extensive information
resources to serve the
general public.

25. Health Literacy Prototype for Hispanic Populations in Second Life ™
Conrado F. Asenjo Library, UPR-RCM

26. Latinos & Health
• We chose from CDA &
OMDH reports as main
Latinos’ health
problems
• Topics addressed:
– Guidance in evaluating
health resources
– Influenza A (H1N1)
– Heart disease
– Diabetes

27. Emphasis on informed
decisions
• Emphasis is in guidance and
search, but not to replace health
professional intervention.
• Assessment of reliable health
information.
• Prevention and education.
• The medical library as a trusted
center of guidance and assistance
to the community.

28. Design

29. Design
• User-friendly materials
• Learning Paths
• Bilingual Material
• Previously evaluated and appropriate links for
Hispanic populations.
• Plain Language
• Aimed at informed decision making

30. Graphic Material

31. Outreach Strategies
Listening SL’s
Hispanic
population needs
Activities
Planned
Suggestions
mailbox according to
these needs
Polls
Self-running
presentations
You Tube
Conversations
Videos

32. Outreach Strategies
Google Site
https://sites.google.com/a/upr.edu/tusaludbuscadistingueaprende

33. Outreach Strategies
• Facebook • You Tube
• Twitter • Flickr
• SlideShare presentations • Koinup

34. Health Information Literacy corner on
Infolit iSchool
Sheila Webber /
Sheila Yoshikawa

35. In addition to the heart/stroke quiz …
HIV/AIDS information
seeking related to
SCONUL 7 Pillars (by
Robin Ashford (SL Mochi),
librarian at George Fox
University, USA, & former
community librarian in SL
Model of SCONUL 7 Pillars
of information literacy, with
examples of a search
“Should we panic about
bird flu” (Sheila Webber &
students)

36. HealthInfo Island
Health Commons
Teleport to
Swine flu health related HIV/AIDS quilt
places in SL e.g.
Tour of the Testis
Virtual hallucinations

37. • Venue for
discussion, social
events, CPD

38. Conclusions
• Global outreach in real time crossing over all
demographics, truly multinational
• Content designed and created by SL Residents;
create targeted material + use other people’s
• Platform for education, entertainment, living
• educational interventions
• inworld “passers by”; awareness raising
• CPD
• Multiple channel strategy (net + virtual world)

39. Sheila Webber
Elisabeth Jacobsen
Senior Lecturer, Information School Marrapodi
University of Sheffield. Library Director
s.webber@sheffield.ac.uk (SL Trinitas Regional Medical Center
SheilaYoshikawa) Elizabeth, New Jersey USA
http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/ EMarrapodi@Trinitas.org (Second Life:
http://www.slideshare.net/sheilawebber Brielle Coronet)
SL: Sheila Yoshikawa http://www.slideshare.net/emarrapodi
SL: Brielle Coronet
Rossana I. Barrios
Biblioteca Conrado F. Asenjo, University of Puerto Rico
rossana.barrios@upr.edu
SL: Pi Illios

40. References
• Gorini, A. et al. (2008). “A second life for eHealth: prospects for the use of 3-
D virtual worlds in clinical psychology”. Journal of Medical Internet
Research,10(3):e21 http://www.jmir.org/2008/3/e21/
• Kirriemuir, J. (2010) Virtual worlds in education: why?
http://www.slideshare.net/VirtualWorldWatch/sheffield-april-2010
• McCallum, J., Ness, V. and Price, T. (2010) “Exploring nursing students'
decision-making skills whilst in a Second Life clinical simulation laboratory.”
Nurse education today. [corrected proof, in press, available online]
• Rogers, L. (2009). “Simulating clinical experience: Exploring Second Life as
a learning tool for nurse education”. In: Same places, different spaces:
proceedings Ascilite Auckland 2009. Figtree: ASCILITE.
http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/auckland09/procs/rogers.pdf
• Wiecha, J. et al. (2010) “Learning in a Virtual World: Experience With Using
Second Life for Medical Education. “ Journal of medical internet research,
12 (1). http://www.jmir.org/2010/1/e1/