“You look through the 3D glasses, and you can basically walk through the structure, peeling apart parts so you can look at exactly what you want to,” said Dr. Anthony Azakie, one of the surgeons who separated the twins. He said the high-resolution visualization “helped minimize the number of surprises that we were potentially dealing with.”

X-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans can now be turned into high-resolution 3D images in under a minute, said Sergio Agirre, chief technology officer of EchoPixel, a Mountain View, California firm whose visualization software is being used in hospitals across the U.S. “Twenty years ago, it would probably take them a week to be able to do that.”

psychologists have found VR to be good for treating post-traumatic stress disorder.

Construction asks our students and teachers to focus on the power and patience employed during work process…and not just the final resultant work product.

It may be a small designation to make, but I see a great deal of difference between the act of creation, and the sustained, informed, evaluative elements embedded in construction. Related posts:

 Is the information easy to use? Limit the number of messages, use plain language, and focus on action.3, 4 Keep it simple. The number of messages will depend on the information needs of the intended users. As a general guideline, use no more than four main messages. Give the user specific actions and recommendations. Clearly state the actions you want the person to take. Focus on behavior rather than the underlying medical principles. Use familiar language and an active voice. Avoid long or run-on sentences. Organize similar information into several smaller groups. Many of the same plain language techniques that make the written word understandable also work with verbal messages, such as avoiding jargon and using everyday examples to explain technical or medical terms the first time they are used. For more information on plain language, visit www.plainlanguage.gov. Supplement instructions with pictures. Individual learning styles differ. For many people, visuals are a preferred style, especially for technical information.3 Simple line drawings can help users understand complicated or abstract medical concepts. Make sure to place images in context. When illustrating internal body parts, for example, include the outside of the body. For print communication, use captions or cues to point out key information.3 Show the main message on the front of the materials. Use visuals that help convey your message. (Don't just “decorate,” as this will distract users.) Make visuals culturally relevant and use images that are familiar to your audience. Back to Top Make written communication look easy to read.3-5 Use at least 12-point font. Avoid using all capital letters, italics, and fancy script. Keep line length between 40 and 50 characters. Use headings and bullets to break up text. Be sure to leave plenty of white space around the margins and between sections. Improve the usability of information on the Internet. Remember Refer to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Policies for Federal Public Websites for further guidance. Studies show that people cannot find the information they seek on Web sites about 60 percent of the time.6 This percentage may be significantly higher for persons with limited literacy skills. Many of the elements that improve written and oral communication can be applied to online information, including using plain language, large font, white space, and simple graphics.7 Other elements are specific to the Internet. These include: Enhancing text with video or audio files Including interactive features and personalized content Using uniform navigation Organizing information to minimize searching and scrolling6 Giving users the option to navigate from simple to complex information A critical way to make information on the Internet more accessible to persons with limited literacy and health literacy skills is to apply user-centered design principles and conduct usability testing. Usability is a measure of several factors that affect a user's experience interacting with a product, such as a Web page. These factors include: How fast can the user learn how to use the site? How fast can the user accomplish tasks? Can the user remember how to use the site the next time he or she visits? How often do users make mistakes? How much does the user like the site? To learn more about usability, visit www.usability.gov.

Health information can overwhelm even persons with advanced literacy skills. Medical science progresses rapidly. What people may have learned about health or biology during their school years often becomes outdated or forgotten, or it is incomplete. Moreover, health information provided in a stressful or unfamiliar situation is unlikely to be retained.

Health literacy is defined as the “degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions”.

To improve quality of care and reduce disparities, patients’ literacy skills must be acknowledged and addressed within the health care setting. The National Call to Action to Promote Health Literacy, released by the CDC in May, 2010, views limited health literacy as a public health problem (section1) and has articulated 7 goals to deliver person-centered health information and services.

The use of the automated Web-based ANODE e-coaching program in patients with T2DM and abdominal obesity was associated with a significant control-subtracted improvement in diet quality and several important cardiometabolic risk factors. The program can be delivered remotely with limited human resources, and therefore has potential for cost-effectiveness, and subsequently broad dissemination if generalizability and longer-term sustainability are demonstrated.

fully automated but interactive

However, a high-intensity, multidisciplinary intervention (as recommended) is often impossible to implement in real life environments due to limited human resources and the high costs of long-term care. In addition, geographically isolated patients cannot easily access face-to-face education programs. Therefore, it is necessary to develop innovative approaches to improve the adoption of a healthy lifestyle.

Among patients with T2DM and abdominal obesity, the use of a fully automated Web-based program resulted in a significant improvement in dietary habits and favorable clinical and laboratory changes.

Learners need support from peers and mentors to persist through setbacks and challenges.

Learning is irresistible and life-changing when it connects personal interests to meaningful relationships and real-world opportunity.

learning in an age of abundant access to information and social connection

the most resilient, adaptive, and effective learning involves individual interest as well as social support to overcome adversity and provide recognition.

It is important for students to recognize that although technology gives us a lot of power, it also restricts us in many ways, and we need to question how the affordances of technology modify our communication and our behavior. For example, it is worth discussing the process of Wikipedia. Although Wikipedia is not a scholarly source, it is usually a good enough first stop to learn about something. However, students need to know how it is updated.

Digital skills focus on what and how. Digital literacy focuses on why, when, who, and for whom.

digital citizen.