Providing Education by Bringing Learning Environments to Students (PEBBLES)

A Good Idea

Description

Through the use of videoconferencing and robotics, the PEBBLES project is able to connect a hospitalized child with his or her classroom in order to minimize loss of social and intellectual stimulation and to facilitate reentry into the classroom after hospital discharge. One device is placed in the classroom, and a second device is placed with the sick child in the hospital. The benefit is two-fold; the sick child endures less stress while being confined to the hospital and upon reentry to school, and the student's classmates benefit from the exposure to robotics technology and assistive devices for the disabled.

Goal / Mission

This program uses technology and innovative design to help hospitalized children stay involved with their classrooms and other students.

Results / Accomplishments

PEBBLES has been implemented successfully at the elementary level in both the U.S. and Canada and is currently being piloted at the high school level.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
University of Toronto and Rerson University (Canada) and National Center for Electronically Mediated Learning (U.S.)
Primary Contact
Dr. Deborah Fels
Centre for Learning Technologies (CLT)
Ryerson University,
350 Victoria Street,
RBB 3-174 (9th floor)
Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2K3
CANADA
(416) 979-5000 ext. 7619
dfels@ryerson.ca
http://www.ryerson.ca/pebbles/index.html
Topics
Education / School Environment
Health / Disabilities
Organization(s)
University of Toronto and Rerson University (Canada) and National Center for Electronically Mediated Learning (U.S.)
Date of implementation
2001
Target Audience
Children

Related Promising Practices

  1. Responsive Classroom
  2. Activity Bursts in the Classroom (ABC) Fitness Program
  3. Consistency Management & Cooperative Discipline
  4. Explore. Define. Measure: An Integrated Curriculum for the Elementary Classroom
  5. Foundations of Learning Project
  6. Hip-Hop to Health Jr

More

Related Content for: Providing Education by Bringing Learning Environments to Students (PEBBLES)

A Good Idea meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program funding source, program implementation steps and outcomes.
  2. The program evaluation is limited to descriptive measure(s) of success/accomplishment (i.e., program participation rates, number of services/education sessions/radio messages provided). Note: oftentimes, the program has been newly implemented and a program evaluation has not yet been conducted. Programs that have not yet been evaluated, but which show promise in improving health or quality of life, are classified as Good Ideas until an evaluation is conducted.