Pandem-Sim: Results of a High School Epidemiology Live Simulation Pilot Test
Abstract: Pandem-Sim is an NIH-funded, immersive learning experience that engages students in a live simulation to analyze medical reports from around the world. High school life science students quickly diagnose and treat an array of infectious diseases, study the data trends, and issue recommendations for prevention and control through public health alerts. Teachers present pre-mission material prior to the simulations and share a tutorial video that describes the browser-based interfaces. Teams of students connect and interact with a Chief Epidemiologist, an educator at an eastern Challenger Learning Center (CLC), via videoconferencing or webcam to investigate infectious disease pandemics, epidemics, and outbreaks. Students analyze case reports, symptoms, epi-curves, patient histories, demographics, and the online Epi-Net medical database to identify diseases and recommend how to contain and treat them through development of public health reports. Stationed in a simulated Pandem Disease Center (PDC), students receive alerts from health officials in the field and must respond quickly to help prevent further disease cases. In this paper, the Pandem-Sim team discusses the pilot test of Pandem-Sim.