Use of Verbot™ Technology to Enhance Classroom Lecture

摘要

Objective: Based on the premise that the retention of new information is improved when it is presented in novel ways, a verbally enhanced software robot (Verbot; Virtual Personalities, Inc.) was adapted to the classroom lecture setting for use as a co-presenter and conversational simulated patient. Description: A commercially available Verbot, named Sylvie, appears as a young woman with reddish brown hair on the computer screen. She is able to give audible responses to text-based input. During these responses, her lips move in synchronization with the audible voice message. In addition, she can display facial expressions denoting different emotional states, resulting in a “virtual personality.” Sylvie can be programmed with a text editor to give specific responses to users' input. Programming allows her to role-play, launch PowerPoint presentations or other software programs, and summarize important points in a lecture. The lecturer can use voice-recognition software to convert speech to input for Sylvie. Her natural-language engine parses the input looking for key words or phrases that have been programmed into her “brain.” When she finds a match between the text input and one of the rules that govern her behavior, she gives the corresponding response. In 1999 these capabilities were used in presenting several lectures to second-year medical students in the medical microbiology portion of the curriculum at Creighton University School of Medicine (CUSOM) and The University of Nebraska College of Medicine (UNMC). Between “conversations,” didactic material was delivered via electronic PowerPoint presentations. Discussion: Sylvie has become a valuable co-presenter able to provide comic relief, alternative points of view, and practical examples of medical issues. For example, Sylvie has participated as a simulated patient in lectures on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The lecturer posed questions to Sylvie via voice-recognition software. Through her responses, Sylvie gave a vivid illustration of important issues in taking a sexual history, in being aware of the asymptomatic nature of many STDs, and in overcoming the vocabulary barrier between health care providers and patients. These simulated interactions enhanced student awareness of the sensitive and sometimes awkward nature of these discussions between providers and patients. Moreover, Sylvie's contrasting “lecture style” has the inestimable benefit of keeping the students engaged with what is being taught. The student evaluations of the Sylvie-enhanced lectures were compared with the previous year's evaluations of the same lecturer and didactic material without the Verbot participation. On a scale of 1 to 5 (best) the Creighton students' average score rose from 3.85 to 4.55. The Nebraska students' average score (scale 0 to 4) rose from 3.13 to 3.79. Several students also tried to communicate their positive reactions to the lecturer months after the lecture was delivered. Recently, a Web-enabled Verbot engine has been developed. Creation of conversational teaching assistants that function over the Internet is planned.