The Provision of Education & Training for Health Care Professionals Through

the Medium of the InternetMartin Beer (1), Sharon Green (2), Samia Nefti (1) Andrew Sixsmith (3) &

Janice Whatley (4)

Depts. of Computer Science (1), Occupational Therapy (2), and Primary Care (3), University of Liverpool, UK

Information Systems Institute,

University of Salford, UK (4)

m.d.beer@csc.liv.ac.uk

Introduction• The OTIS System

Occupational Therapy Internet School

Support for Problem-Based Learning The System as implemented

• Using Agents for student support Guardian Agent

• Conclusions

The OTIS System

• Innovative features of the OTIS environment are:  The course portfolio is built using a problem-solving approach.

• Students are required to consider case studies and develop an appropriate solution through research and discussion within the group.

The course materials have been developed by international teams to meet educational and training requirements in their own countries and throughout Europe.

Students are required to work in groups with members from the various participating Universities

• broadening their experience in the process • providing evidence of European collaboration in their assignments.

Each University will award 3 ECTS credits to students it registers and assesses.

• These credit points are fully exchangeable.

Benefits of Problem-Based Learning

• Some of the recognised benefits are: a deeper approach to learning is encouraged; not

merely the learning of taught facts, memorised in order to pass an examination

integration of knowledge is encouraged, so that the whole patient in his environment is studied, rather than a list of signs and symptoms

essential core skills are fostered, such as problem solving, communication and team working

• The starting point for learning   "should be a problem, a query or puzzle that the learner

wishes to solve"

Using the System

Navigation Map

Message Box

Communication Area

Control ButtonsInformation Area

Index Area

The OTIS College

• Navigation is by way of the maps

Each room has its own map

There is a standard exit back to the main area

Course materials are separated into their own rooms• Students can see and

communicate with others working on the same modules

• Tutors can more effectively monitor activity

OTIS Room Map

Quiet Room

Lecture Rooms

MeetingRooms

ExhibitionArea

StaffRoom

StudentCafe

Library

HelpDesk

Admin Area

Student WorkArea

PatientConsulting

Area

Course Materials

Supplementary Reading

Web Links

Group Support Agent• Problem-based learning is inherently a

group approach• The groups require effective support• This can be very tutor-intensive• We have defined a Group Support

Agent (GSA) to act as an intelligent helper to the group

Interacts with the other GSAs of the group to identify potential problems and makes suggestions to avoid them

Is a ‘disembodied’ support agent

Agent Communication Architecture

Internet

Guardian Agent

W e bB r o w s e r

ActivityMonitor

AgentCommunication

AreaCoMentor

WebServer

ActivityHelpers

Student

StudentProfile

IndividualActivity

Plan

Group & IndividualWork Areas

Current Status• The OTIS world is implemented

Has been used for one pilot this year Main pilot starts in January 2001 A multi-room model has been developed that can be used

for a range of courses• The rooms can be customised if necessary

General facilities that can be used for all courses are provided for:• Organising meetings• Discussing in groups (Lecture theatres)• Managing groups • Staff & Student Discussion Areas

• Prototype Guardian Agent exists Implemented in Prolog Being used for validation experiments Then needs to be integrated into OTIS

Conclusions• The problem-based approach can be used

for internet learning• Students require even more support &

assistance when learning at a distance than in College

This can prove extremely expensive Traditional universities do not have cost models

that support this Agent Technology can help considerably

• The Geographic Model for the Internet School has been found highly effective & popular

Can be used to define a whole family of support agents with different capabilities

Further Information

• Visit the Project web Sitehttp://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/~otis/

• Contact the project teamM.D.Beer@csc.liv.ac.uk

G.M.Armitt@csc.liv.ac.uk

Workshop on Agents & Internet Learning

• We are proposing to organise a workshop at Agents 2001 in Montreal in June 2001

• Call for Papers to be issued in January

• Closing date for submissions 28th March 2001

• Further Information (and final CFP) Contact Janice Whatley (J.E.Whatley@

salford.ac.uk) or me.