Tuesday, February 5, 2019
12:00pm-2:00pm
Myhal Centre, Room 370
55 St. George Street
Prof. Elaine Biddis, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME)
Possibility Engineering: designing interactive media to support children’s therapy goals
For many years, children, families, and clinicians have been enthused by the idea of using movement tracking video games to motivate children with physical disabilities like cerebral palsy to participate in home-based exercise programs. “Kids love video games. Kids hate boring therapies. Let’s use video games for therapies!” But, can video games be used for motor therapy in a way that truly engages children or are they just “chocolate covered broccoli”? In this talk, we will discuss the design of therapy games and interventions through the lens of three contemporary theories of motivation: self-determination theory, expectancy-value theory, and social cognitive theory. We will see how these theories have been applied to the design of Botley’s Bootle Blast, a video game for motor therapies designed by the Possibility Engineering and Research Lab at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.
Elaine Biddiss is an engineering scientist with the Bloorview Research Institute at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and an Assistant Professor with the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto. She directs the Possibility and Engineering Research Lab (PEARL). Dr. Biddiss is dedicated to creating innovative solutions that support young people with disabilities to achieve their goals in both recreation and rehabilitation. She embraces an interdisciplinary design approach and enjoys the challenges of integrating engineering, medicine, arts, and design. The PEARL team works extensively in the development of virtual reality therapies and in the creation of interactive play spaces that are accessible to young people of all abilities in healthcare environments. Dr. Biddiss received a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Toronto before pursuing doctoral studies in biomedical engineering at the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering and a postdoctoral fellowship with the School for Health and Related Research at the University of Sheffield.
Please RSVP by noon on Monday, 4 Feb 2019 using the below linke to be included in the catering order:
