Tutor Preparations
Useful Links:
Abstract of the study: http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1847578
A-CHESS app screen: http://www.usnews.com/dims4/USNEWS/4e584e6/2147483647/resize/652x%3E/quality/85/?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2F42%2Fcc4c5a8f031f03f6d54aa3c32b4391%2Fmedia%3A7dfc9a194e734933942b51a61fb4be6bMED-SoberSmartphones.JPEG
Related Article:
http://badgerherald.com/news/2014/03/31/chess-app-alcoholism-rl/#.U0OA16iSzkY
Warm-up (2-3 minutes)
Use the questions to lead your student to the article topic.
What mobile phone applications are useful to you?
How valuable is your mobile phone or smartphone?
Unlocking Word Meanings (5 minutes)
Let your student read the items below. Confirm that he/she understood each word. Use additional info/definition/question only when necessary.
1. spearhead [SPEER-hed] (v.) – to start and lead something
Example: The scientists spearheaded the new experiment.
Additional info: The term is a combination of the words spear (n.), which means a long weapon with a blade on its end, and head (v.), which means to be the leader of something.
2. sobriety [suh-BRAHY-i-tee] (n.) – a condition in which one is clear-headed and not drunk
Example: The police arrested the man for his lack of sobriety.
Additional info: Sober(adj.) means being not drunk.
3. relapse [REE-laps] (n.) – a point in which one goes back to a former condition after partially recovering from it
Example: We thought she has already recovered, but she still experienced many relapses.
Additional info: The term is often used when the former condition is something negative (e.g. an illness, an addiction).
4. quantitative [KWON-ti-tey-tiv] (adj.) – referring to a type of methodological study or research that solely focuses on statistical data
Example: The quantitative research involved a series of surveys.
Additional info: Quantity(n.) means the amount of something.
5. abstinence [AB-stuh-nuh ns] (n.) – the act of not indulging on or doing something
Example: The first step to defeating an addiction is abstinence.
Additional info: The term is commonly used to refer to a vice (n.), which means a habit that is unhealthy or immoral.
Article (10 minutes)
Let the student read the article aloud. For the Comprehension Questions, you may:
(a) Ask the questions in between. Tell the student ahead of time when to pause from reading.
(b) Ask the questions after he or she finishes reading everything.
For words difficult to pronounce, pronunciation guides are provided beside the word.
A university research center has currently developed a smartphone application that helps former alcoholic patients to maintain their recovery on their own.
Nowadays, there is a growing interest to use electronic devices as supportive tools for drug rehabilitation. One of which is the ongoing app project spearheaded by the Center for Health Enhancement System Studies (C.H.E.S.S.) research center of the University of Wisconsin [wis-KON-suh n]. It is one of the many projects of C.H.E.S.S. that aims to use technology to provide solutions for mental and emotional health problems.
Aptly named “A-CHESS” (acronym for Application-C.H.E.S.S.), the app is especially designed to provide both supporting and self-maintaining options to sustain sobriety.
Q: Who spearheaded the development of the A-CHESS application?
A: The Center for Health Enhancement System Studies research center led the development of the A-CHESS app.
One feature of the app that provides supporting aid is a panic button, which alerts peers who are near the user in the event of a relapse. Another is a survey data that regularly monitors the user’s condition through simple questions, which counselors can easily access.
Users can also regulate themselves through the app’s automated and easily accessible features. For instance, the application automatically alerts the user when they are close to or approaching restricted areas like bars. The application also provides links to preventive ways such as relaxation methods and breathing exercises.
Q: What does the panic button do?
A: The panic button warns friends when the user experiences a relapse.
Through a quantitative study, C.H.E.S.S. discovered that the app is more effective compared to the follow-up routine that patients usually receive after monitored treatment. It included 271 patients, half of whom were tested with the smartphone application while the other half with the follow-up routine.
Results of the study showed that a higher percentage of the former group reported well-maintained abstinence compared with the latter group.
Q: How many patients were included in the study?
A: The study included 271 patients.
Follow-up (optional)
Use the question below to check if your student understood the article.
What is the article all about?
Viewpoint Discussion (7-8 minutes)
Lead the discussion using the questions below.
Discussion A
· Would you recommend this app to people who wish to sustain sobriety? Why or why not?
· For what other addictions do you think this kind of application can be useful? Kindly discuss.
Discussion B
· Why do you think it is difficult for some people to recover from an addiction?
· What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of relying on technology to recover from an addiction?