COGNITIVE FITNESS IN IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL WORLDS

Transkript

1 COGNITIVE FITNESS IN IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL WORLDS Designing af Communication- and Learning Environment for people suffering from Aphasia - Ulla Konnerup, Aalborg University, [email protected]

2 Afasi Afasi er en samlet betegnelse for forstyrrelser af sprogfunktionen efter en erhvervet hjerneskade. Skaden kan være opstået efter apopleksi, men kan også skyldes andre skader, hvor hjernens blodkar er læderet. Afasi medfører kommunikationsvanskeligheder i varierende grad alt efter hvor i hjernen, skaden er.

3 My PhD is about Reconstruction of the communication competency among people suffering from aphasia caused by a brain injury Focus on: Recreating oneself/identity by interaction in immersive virtual worlds Hypothesis is: that transforming the rehabilitation landscape into an immersive virtual environment will give possibilities for multimodal ways of communication social interactions emotional experiences involvement of the body will affect the brain reestablishing process positively and promote cognitive and communicative functions (Moreover a social life and be free to independently using technologies)

4 Arguments 1. IVW opens up for bodily immersion and interacting through avatar mediating. 2. Interacting in 3D IVW fires (almost) the same neurons as interaction in the real world 3. IVW provides the opportunity for use of multiple sensory stimuli, and for the promotion and development of the nervous lanes in the brain. My research is based on 1. Social learning theory re-learning after a brain injury must take place through social practices. (Vygotsky 1934; Lave & Wenger 1991) 2. Brain research, that has shown that if nerve cells are stimulated, they can proliferate throughout life, and that the damaged nerve cells can form new ramifications on the basis of stem cells and nerve cells can divide. (Bjarkam, 2004; Goldberg, Empirical studies of people suffering from aphasia acting in virtual worlds (Second Life)

5 Sproget Kan ses som et middel til: kontakt kommunikation læring Forståelse Deltagelse Sproget kan karakteristeres som en i-tale-sættelse af en person og dermed en del af identitet og læring

6 Tab af sprog Svært at opretholde sociale relationer Pa virker i stor udstrækning andres opfattelse af os, med den konsekvens, at identitetsopfattelsen ændres (Svenstrup 2004) En person med afasi kan opleve ikke at være sig selv mere Rehabilitering efter en hjerneskade handler grundlæggende om, hvordan man genopretter sig selv som menneske, genetablerer tidligere kompetencer og fortsat have mulighed for at udvikle sig Identitet er ikke noget man har, men noget man genfortæller hele tiden (Fredens 2006:41:43).

7 The Idea: From web 2.0 to 3D Web 2.0 strengthen cognition, communication and acting competency Web 3.0 Avartarmediated (3D) Community-centered learning and communication Knowledge sharing Experience sharing Interaction Participation Arguing Reflection Bodily immersion and interacting through avatar mediating The brain is activated by ideas about actions and experiences and actions on a conception level might stimulate nerve cells Provide the opportunity for use of multiple sensory stimuli, and for the promotion and development of the nervous lanes in the brain

8 Emperical Work ( ) Establishment of a project group (people suffering from aphasia, relatives and speech therapists) Interviews (before and after the pilot courses) Workshops ( dialog/ activities about needs and wishes for aphasiac) Pilot Courses (observations, videotape)

9 Statement from the Speech Therapists on embodiment.when I practice on jumping my whole body tightens and I find myself quite physically stretched upwards and onwards the moment I jump, and a relaxation when I'm well down to earth on the other side. and felt both thirst and taste when I looked at Lotte drinking her coca cola.. When I am walking, I can not feel anything, but when I fly - then I get like a rush in my stomach. It's fantastic. Normally I am afraid of heights. I was out dancing one day and suddenly I was dancing myself... I really like to dance in here, but only when I am with some of you!otherwise I do not really know what to do with myself! A little annoying thing - I get carsick / seasick when I move around in SL

10 Visiting Scholarship at Stanford Discuss and analyze data

11 Outcome Linking neurospychology and learning Reformulation of the aphasia pedagogy Webbased virtual environment (Second Life)