TEENS Kesuke-san "Developmental Disabilities x Meter Bus" AVOS Application Example 3｜Chat Session
Hello. In my previous article, I introduced AVOS Application Example 2: "Worry Consultation Center" by TEENS Kesuke, Educational Division of Kaien, Inc.
In this article, we will discuss an example of AVOS use of "Chatting Session" to improve communication skills while satisfying your child's niche conversational needs! The interview regarding this article is also available on YouTube. Please take a look if you like. (Click here for the full version of the video)
AVOS Application Example 3 "Chat Session"
TEENS, which provides educational support for elementary, junior high, and high school students with developmental disabilities, uses AVOS to hold "Chat sessions". What kind of event is this?
The "Chat Session" is an event where children who are too nervous to talk on video calls or turn off the camera can train themselves to talk to other people. Let's decide on a theme and talk about it together in the Metaverse!
Five times a month, the theme will change from week to week. The number of participants varies depending on the theme, but on average, about 5 to 10 children gather. That seems like a good number of people to have a chat with. The children who participate in the "Chat Session" seem to have a lot to talk about, and everyone speaks freely without a moderator.
Meet friends in your hobby that you can't find in the real world.
Some children have a particular interest, such as "I'll definitely attend the train-themed sessions, but I'll never go to the game sessions! Some children are specialized in one area of interest, while others like anime, games, and idols. Some children are more scattered than others, and each child has his or her own characteristics. Some children are so knowledgeable that they can be called maniacs.
This makes it difficult for them to talk with other children their age around them. Therefore, by providing a place where they can talk about even the most geeky things, they can satisfy their desire to talk. I see. It seems that children can satisfy their "desire to talk" with friends who share the same hobbies, while at the same time acquiring communication skills.
Another advantage of AVOS and Metaverse is that you can participate online from anywhere in Japan or overseas. It is a great opportunity to interact with colleagues you would not otherwise be able to meet in the real world, and to engage in friendly competition. Metaverse has more than enough potential. Kesuke-san also has high expectations for the many things that can be done with it that he has yet to come up with.
What I would like to do with AVOS in the future
We asked Mr. Kesuke, who has such high expectations for AVOS and Metaverse, what he would like to do in the future.
First of all, "Shigoto Mirai Juku" was started with the idea of "enabling people in rural areas to freely receive the support for cultivating children's ability to work that is provided at TEENS". Currently, TEENS has a "work experience" program that allows children to experience the workplace where they will work, and they can try being a "magician" as a performer, or experience various occupations such as an accountant or a photographer. We should be able to do these work experiences in Metaverse! Kesuke-san thinks that these work experiences should be available at Metaverse as well.
Learn a variety of skills through "work experience".
To begin with, what you need to be aware of differs depending on the nature of the job, doesn't it? Kesuke-san himself is a photographer, and in fact, the ability to communicate with others to make them smile is important, or the way you present your work after editing is important, and the "work experience" teaches the different points to be aware of and what to see depending on the job.
Keisuke-san's expectations are growing that in the future he will be able to use the Metaverse to do the things he is doing in real life, as well as to experience work in a way that is unique to the Metaverse.
Incidentally, magic is said to be very popular among children, but the actual purpose is not to be able to do magic, but to practice moving the fingers, thinking of a talk to entertain others, and learning the ability to deceive when you make mistakes. Hmmm...that's deep.
"Club activities" should help develop speaking skills.
TEENS "Shigoto Mirai Juku" nurtures the ability to work and life skills necessary for children with developmental disabilities. In the future, Kesuke would like to offer courses specializing in public speaking and public speaking as a club activity for children.
For example, the skill of "looking the other person in the eye" is necessary when speaking. In a video call, you are talking into the camera, but in the Metaverse, you can control your avatar to turn your body toward the other person or look at them.
In this way, they would like to create a program that allows for more specialized learning while effectively utilizing the operability unique to the Metaverse. It would be possible to create a step-by-step program in which children who are not good at interacting with others can first practice and improve their skills in the Metaverse, and then practice in the real world. I would love to see this become a reality!
Jibun Kenkyu Kouza (Self-Research Course)in the Metaverse!
The "Jibun Kenkyu Koza" is the main course of "Shigoto Mirai Juku". It is a course that encourages people to think about themselves while being open about their disabilities and illnesses. Kesuke-san would like to try this course at Metaverse as well. He thinks that if the "Jibun Kenkyu Koza" could be realized with the tension of the "Worry Counseling Center" introduced in the previous article, people would be able to talk about themselves even more.
This is because many people with developmental disabilities wonder, "Why just me?"
However, by talking with other people, they can learn that they are not alone, and that they are not alone because he is the same way. If this could be realized in a more face-to-face setting in the Metaverse, Kesuke-san believes that it would surely lead to even more support for children.
In addition to this, he would also like to come up with various other programs that those who are not attending school can participate in from home. I think that what Kesuke-san has shared with us is not limited to those with developmental disabilities, but is likely to be useful in child-rearing, education, and the workplace as well. I can feel your passion and warmth for supporting children with developmental disabilities. I am learning a lot from your story.
Testimonials from children who have used AVOS
Kaien's TEENS and Kesuke-san continue to support children with developmental disabilities by utilizing AVOS.
What kind of feedback have you received from children who have used AVOS?
It was impressive to see a voice posted in the chat during the event saying, "Yay, it's the Metaverse!" was posted in the chat during the event, which was impressive. Other comments included, "It's nice to have freedom", and "It was fun to discuss my problems on the spot."
According to Kesuke-san, for example, he has been discussing his concerns before, and what he does is the same, but in the Metaverse, he feels that he is "talking to everyone here" more strongly. Perhaps because children with developmental disabilities are particularly prone to immersion, it seems to be a good match with the Metaverse.
Some said, "In the virtual space, I could move freely and didn't even realize I was home." For children, just the fact that they can move and that it is in the metaverse is enough to make them feel "fun" first. Above all, we are happy that the children find it "fun".
In this regard, Kesuke-san and his colleagues are not teaching a class, but rather are presenting an opportunity for children to think. Therefore, they are very grateful that AVOS and Metaverse are a place for children to think, "This looks fun! We are very grateful that the children think that AVOS and Metaverse are "fun" as a place to think. After all, if it is not fun, it will not continue, and Kesuke-san himself wants to have fun too! He says, "It has to be fun. We are sure that such a world will continue to expand in the future on AVOS and in the Metaverse, where everyone is having fun, both on the management side and on the participating side.
Improvements to AVOS and what to expect
So far, we have heard many good points about AVOS and Metaverse, but we also asked about improvements we would like to see in AVOS.
"It would be nice if you could see more clearly who is speaking now. Then I can turn toward the person who is speaking. Also, when a comment is made in the chat, it would be good if a speech bubble appears showing who made the comment so that people can see who is speaking. That way, people who comment in the chat without speaking can feel more involved in the conversation. I think that when these things are done, it will bring it closer to realism."
Exactly as you say! The perspective that everyone can have a sense of being part of the conversation, whether they are participating vocally or chatting, was an eye-opener.
I also hope that there will be an administrative feature that will allow us to create a breakout room and then return to the overall conversation. It would be nice to be able to divide the room up so people can enjoy the conversation in small groups, and then use the "gather" button to bring everyone back to the original room."
Thank you very much for your feedback! We will definitely take it into consideration for future development.
Next Episode
Now, in this issue, we introduced the example 3 of AVOS utilization at TEENS Kesukei-san, "Chatting Session" and children's reactions to the use of Metaverse. It was very informative and full of various innovations. In the next article, we will introduce the Q&A session with the audience gathered at the interview site. Please be sure to read the next (and final) article.
Kaien Educational Division TEENS Links
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