4:54 PM – 5:23PM PDT, 9:19 PDT to 11:30 PDT 9 August 2008
I was interested to find out what non-profit organisations are doing in Second Life. Here is an island that brings together various medical support groups and library services to provide free consumer health information.
The landing point at Healthinfo island took me right next to a signpost with a list of landmarks in the area, a consumer health survey on a clipboard object and terms of service.
There is also a Disney-style automated tour available. This is a activated by sitting on a chair and clicking on the Take Tour option on the pie menu. The chair whisks visitors off on a guided tour of the island. The tour commentary appears as ‘whispers’ on the screen. The commentary is also provided in a notecard.
And for those who prefer a personalized tour, it is possible to book these as well.
About the island:
The island, claimed in November 2006, has an area of 6,272 sq m and 1268 primitives as of 9 August 2008. I was befriended by Labud Wingtips, a friendly avatar who dropped into the landing zone around the same time I did. He asked me what I was looking for in the island and when I told him I was planning to write up about the island, he advised me to do a Google search on Namro Orman. I took his advice and found several useful links.
Healthinfo island was founded by Namro Orman who in real life is the Coordinator of Electronic Services at the Central Medical Library of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) in the Netherlands. It is owned by Second Life Medical, a group of librarians and others who provide library services and share ideas in Second Life. And it is funded by a grant from the Greater Midwest Region of the National Networks/National Library of Medicine with the objective of provide Second Life residents with consumer health information. This is achieved through collaboration with residents and support groups to create online displays in the island. Different health organisations are represented in this island, including an HIV/AIDS centre, an multi-story Accessibility Centre, a medical library and a consumer health library.
I started exploring the island by taking the automated tour, after which I continued my exploration of the island on foot.
Information presentation
There is a wealth of health information in the island and the information is presented through various ways. The most obvious are the billboards with text information. For instance, the Path of Support lets you walk through a path lined with billboards on either side with ads from various health groups.
The running track along the coast has billboards along the way with notices of events happening in each month in the island.
There are other billboards with photos, as in the Alhzeimers’ Foundation photo display, and billboards with links to web pages and RSS feeds. Information is also found in other objects such as laptops and LCD screens in the Consumer Health Library and through HUDs (heads up displays which you can see but which other residents inworld can’t see).
Interactivity
A variety of methods has been employed to interact with residents through objects.
There are objects that allow you to take a quiz to test your knowledge of certain health topics. For example, the Stroke Awareness quiz is done through a pop-up window with multiple choice button selections. After doing the quiz, the respondent is given a free shirt.
The Accessibility Centre takes interactivity further by providing simulations. At the low-vision accessibility area, you get a chance to see the world through the eyes of someone with low-vision by stepping into a special area where you can view the world outside through the black-tinted glass.
In the Game Accessibility floor, there is an obstacle course which residents have to navigate through while sitting in a free wheelchair.
On another floor, there is a game called Whack-a-Mole which measures dexterity to give residents an insight into how disabled people play games differently.
The design of the centre itself is very accessible. It is a multi-story building, open on one side with each floor well-signposted– making entry easy for flying avatars.
Another way of providing information to residents is through a chatbot called Healthy. While still in beta, Healthy searches library databases for answers to questions typed in by residents in the chat area and responds with the relevant information. Healthy is still in beta and hence not totally intelligent! However, it seems this chatbot’s main purpose is to investigate ways of providing information in the future rather than actually providing information.
Tags: accessibility, chatbot, disability, health, HealthInfo, interactivity, library, simulation, tourbot
