Implementation and Management Approach

The Xplore Health portal aims to provide access to cutting-edge health and medicine research presented in a comprehensible language and attractive format. The specific modules covering various research subjects contain games, videos or virtual experiments that aid a better understanding of all stages of medical research. The interactive environment of the website stimulates direct feedback from users as well as the submission of new contents by qualified scientists or press officers. The portal also invites researchers to submit their opinions on presented materials and issues or contribute with new content.

Each module includes engaging and interactive multimedia tools to create an environment where users can share information and collaborate. The resources are targeted at science educators and teachers and are ready-to-use in class, either as a complement to the multimedia materials or as a stand-alone activity.

Tools developed by the project will include:

• Videos: where an introduction to the health issue will be made, with background information together with state-of-the-art research contents facilitated through interviews with European researchers and opinions on ELSA topics by experts.
• Dialogue games: to introduce policymaking as a process where different choices and options are available. Through dialogue and listening to different points of view the participants realise the complexity of policymaking. Eight new games will be designed for the project, and translated into various languages.
• Experiment protocols describing an experiment which will be developed in different open labs in Europe, inviting the public to participate in state-of-the-art European research.
• Virtual experiments: an opportunity for the user to virtually recreate current research experiments and to get an understanding of what research is.
• Games to give the user an introduction to the topic of the module in a fun and engaging way.
• Educational packs which will be developed in such a way that even audiences outside the educational community may use them.

Other resources include a teacher's guide with suggestions on how to run the school programme and how it fits in with curricula and classroom activities.

New modules are published on the portal regularly during the course of the project and focus on the latest research taking place in a wide range of health areas such as:

• Drug development
• Biotech
• Skin cancer
• Malaria
• HIV/AIDS
• Genomics
• Obesity
• Mental health

The project's Science Advisory Board supervises the project activities and ensures that all the information on the portal and other materials are correct and scientifically sound.