New VR software teaches young athletes about concussions
TeachAids, a nonprofit organization focused on health education, has launched a new virtual reality (VR) program that teaches young athletes how to play safe and properly diagnose and treat a concussion.
The CrashCourse VR software, which is now available as a free download, was developed with help from researchers at Stanford University. TeachAids has partnered with Pop Warner and USA Football to put the software in the hands of as many young athletes as possible. The two organizations had previously worked with TeachAids to distribute CrashCourse content when it was available in a standard video format.
“By integrating the most up-to-date medical knowledge with state-of-the-art technology, TeachAids has developed a uniquely engaging and effective way to ingrain healthy behaviors in our youth,” Jon Butler, executive director of Pop Warner Little Scholars, said in a prepared statement. “As an organization that is constantly developing new approaches to advance safety for our players, we are proud to be partnering with TeachAids to provide materials that are fundamentally different from other educational models that have been created before.”
“VR is an incredibly powerful medium with proven ability to increase empathy and change behavior,” Piya Sorcar, PhD, CEO of TeachAids, said in the same statement. “In this digital native generation, we are excited to be among the first to use the uniquely immersive features of VR to help solve important health issues. We hope that these educational materials will provide young football players, as well as youth in all sports, with the knowledge and tools necessary to keep themselves safer.”
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.