Developing a video-mediated communication system for hospitalized children

When a student is away from school for an extended time due to illness, he/ she is provided with a tutor or access to in-hospital classrooms to keep up with his/her studies. This isolates the child from normal classroom experi ences. A remote-control videoconferencing system (VCS), P.E.B.B.L.E.S.(TM) (Provid ing Education by Bringing Learning Environments to Students), was developed to allow a student access to his/her regular classroom from the hospital. Remote control is provided by a game pad, which allows the student to direc t the system. The first iteration, P.E.B.B.L.E.S. I, tested feasibility. The design of P. E.B.B.L.E.S. II provides an integrated version of the system with user inte rface aimed at children. Four studies examined its efficacy in allowing a s tudent to participate in typical classroom activities and in providing him/ her a sense of presence in the classroom. Results indicate that the system can be used with relatively few errors whe n set to perform the majority of required activities. The study-participant s reported positive experiences using the system, and remote users appeared to have a sense of presence in the classroom.