Playing Games with HealthThe use of game-like technologies in healthcare education

Dr Ben BettsCEO, HT2

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Is this a game?

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Is this a game?

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Is this a game?

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Is this a game?

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OK, so what is a game?

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Chris Crawford’s Taxonomy of Creative Expressions:

OK, so what is a game?

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A voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles“”- Bernard Suits, The Grasshopper

Do games work?

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YesThis question has been answered by researchers many times…

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Multiple meta-studies (De Freitas et al; Sitzmann; Egenfeldt-Nielson for example) all suggest games can be more effective than more ‘traditional’ teaching methods, in the right circumstances.

“Advocates of game-based learning suggest that games create deeper learning experiences that more thoroughly engage participants in the attainment of learning objectives” (Betts et al, 2013).

New studies (Glass et al, 2013) also cite neuroplasticity improvements; other known benefits include improved core processing speed, faster logical comprehension, better contrast sensitivity and more…

See: Glass et al (2013). Real-Time Strategy Game Training: Emergence of a Cognitive Flexibility Trait. http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0070350

Are you a gamer?

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Designing Games

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The four pillars of games design, adapted from Jesse Schell; The Art of Game Design.

See: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Art-Game-Design-lenses/dp/0123694965

Designing Games

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POST Analysis Story Generation

Core Mechanics

Codec build (all

mechanics)

Manual PlaytestArt DirectionDevelopmentTest, test, test

What types of games exist for learning?

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• Drill & Practice• Serious Games• Simulations• COTS • ARGs • Gamification…

Drill & Practice

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• Ask players to perform a basic task in repetitions often with the aim of reaching rote retention.

• Used when information is explicit and well defined, for example maths and spelling.

• Tend to embody a single mechanic; don’t often include much in the way of story

Serious Games

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• Games played with a specific, real-world goal.

• Embody multiple mechanics, a well-defined space and a compelling story.

• Can be realistic – situated learning

• Can be more creative – deliberately NOT reality.

Simulations

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“If they don’t get one, I don’t get one”- Ken Mattingly, Apollo 13.

• High fidelity with the rules and conditions of the ‘real-world’.

• Not necessary to have a ‘win-state’.• Games create artificial barriers for

players to overcome; simulations replicate realistic constraints.

COTS and ARGs…

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• Commercial Off-The-Shelf games (COTS) can be used in learning contexts; especially those concerned primarily with strategy and decision making.

• Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) use the Internet as a platform to create a fictional narrative that players can interact.

Gamification

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• Applying game-like feedback to non-game situations.

• Often manifests itself as points, levels and badges, based on users performing certain actions.

• Typically used to promote short-term engagement

• Also consider ‘gamefulness’.

Some examples from Healthcare…

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These are all being demonstrated outside if you want to get ‘hands on’ later…

Defining MomentsSerious Game

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• High-stakes ‘epic’ story• ‘Meta’ game – it’s not

really about being good in a disaster

• Wrapped in extensive debrief and reflective activity.

COLPUniversity-level gamified course

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• Short-term progress checks for a long-term process

• Quantifiable level of understanding – part of the grading mechanism

• Gamification nudges social activity

ECMOTechnical simulation with gamification

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• Technically accurate• Gamification gives

feedback on quality of decisions and generates leaderboard

• Aim to promote re-use; time-on-task.

• Cuts initial cost of training

Mission to MarsSerious Game

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• Understand negotiation• Reflect on the emotions

felt in a high-pressure negotiation scenario

• Promote team-work in real-world networks

What about value?

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• Value is a function of cost and impact, it doesn’t mean ‘cheap’ or ‘expensive’.

• Some games aren’t good value.

• But games perhaps have more potential to be extremely good value than other options…

Thank you!Questions?

Dr Ben BettsCEO, HT2ben@ht2.co.ukTwitter: @bbetts

www.ht2.co.uk