Healthy Competition: Multiplayer Digital Games in Health Education

The focus of this dissertation is on the role of multiplayer digital games in adult education, with a particular emphasis on health education. Although interest in the use of digital games for serious applications has been increasing since the early 2000s, there is a significant gap in understanding on the use of multiplayer digital games in adult education. In the context of health education, there has been a large amount of research conducted in to the use of repurposed commercial games for predicting performance of trainees and health students on surgical simulators. However, beyond this niche research into game based learning is notably less cohesive. There has been some research into the use of digital games in areas such as for delivering insulin management training, but understanding of the processes for widespread application of games based learning in the health sector is limited. Additionally, almost no research has been undertaken into the use of multiplayer digital games in health education, whether it be for tertiary or adult learners. In this dissertation two digital games were developed, implemented and evaluated to explore the value of multiplayer games for supporting cooperation and collaboration in health education. The first game, They Know: Anatomy, was a real time team based strategy game designed to support anatomy revision by second year medical students. The second game, the Qstream: Cancer Cup Challenge, was a team based asynchronous online program designed to reinforce understanding of how to identify and manage adverse events by oncology registrars. A design research framework informed the methodology used in this dissertation. This framework emphasises the need to use multiple iteration cycles to develop a comprehensive understanding of player experiences with the digital games they encountered. Data on participant experiences with the digital games was collected using qualitative methods, including post-game surveys and semi-structured interviews. Between iterative cycles data on participant experiences with the digital games were analysed so that future implementations of the game could be modified to maximise cooperation and collaboration between players. At the conclusion of the study period data collected across all implementations of the digital games were analysed to increase understanding of how multiplayer digital games supported cooperation and collaboration between learners. Findings from this dissertation demonstrate that multiplayer digital games can be used to engage medical students in anatomy revision and medical oncologists in adverse events retraining. This is the first study to look at the use of digital games for either of these demographics. Additionally, this dissertation identified four ways through which multiplayer digital games foster collaboration between players: through the development of a team strategy to win the game, by facilitating !iii shared decision making, by working towards a shared goal, and by creating a sense of investment in a team. Finally, findings from this dissertation contribute to the literature on the implementation of game based learning in adult education. This is an under researched area, but one that warrants further focus in future if game based learning is going to be successfully incorporated into curricula and training activities for adult learners. This dissertation adds to the literature by presenting new knowledge on how and why multiplayer games support collaboration between learners. Additionally, it appears that multiplayer digital games offer diverse, flexible and immersive experiences to adult learners in a way that single player digital games may not. Finally, multiplayer digital games provide new avenues for support self-directed learning by encouraging cooperation between large groups of students in a manner that is not normally achieved in online learning environment

Using simulation gaming to validate a mathematical modeling platform for resource allocation in disasters

The extraordinary conditions of a disaster require the mobilisation of all available resources, inducing the rush of humanitarian partners into the affected area This phenomenon called the proliferation of actors, causes serious problems during the disaster response phase including the oversupply, duplicated efforts, lack of planning In an attempt to reduce the partner proliferation problem a framework called PREDIS (PREdictive model for DISaster response partner selection) is put forward to configure the humanitarian network within early hours after disaster strike when the information is scarce To verify this model a simulation game is designed using two sets of real decision makers (experts and non-experts) in the disaster Haiyan scenario The result shows that using the PREDIS framework 100% of the experts could make the same decisions less than six hours comparing to 72 hours Also between 71% and 86% of the times experts and non-experts decide similarly using the PREDIS framewor

Game Changer: Investing in Digital Play to Advance Children's Learning and Health

Based on a literature review and interviews with digital learning experts, explores how digital games can foster skills and knowledge for better academic performance and health. Makes recommendations for government research, partnerships, and media

Training Competences in Industrial Risk Prevention with Lego® Serious Play®: A Case Study

This paper proposes the use of the Lego® Serious Play® (LSP) methodology as a facilitating tool for the introduction of competences for Industrial Risk Prevention by engineering students from the industrial branch (electrical, electronic, mechanical and technological engineering), presenting the results obtained in the Universities of Cadiz and Seville in the academic years 2017–2019. Current Spanish legislation does not reserve any special legal attribution, nor does it require specific competence in occupational risk prevention for the regulated profession of a technical industrial engineer (Order CIN 351:2009), and only does so in a generic way for that of an industrial engineer (Order CIN 311:2009). However, these universities consider the training in occupational health and safety for these future graduates as an essential objective in order to develop them for their careers in the industry. The approach is based on a series of challenges proposed (risk assessments, safety inspections, accident investigations and fire protection measures, among others), thanks to the use of “gamification” dynamics with Lego® Serious Play®. In order to carry the training out, a set of specific variables (industrial sector, legal and regulatory framework, business organization and production system), and transversal ones (leadership, teamwork, critical thinking and communication), are incorporated. Through group models, it is possible to identify dangerous situations, establish causes, share and discuss alternative proposals and analyze the economic, environmental and organizational impact of the technical solutions studied, as well as take the appropriate decisions, in a creative, stimulating, inclusive and innovative context. In this way, the theoretical knowledge which is acquired is applied to improve safety and health at work and foster the prevention of occupational risks, promoting the commitment, effort, motivation and proactive participation of the student teams.Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities / European Social Fund: Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC-2017-22222

Health Coverage for All Californians: Catching Up With the Public: A Report on Dialogues With the Public and With Business and Civic Leaders

Presents findings on healthcare reforms both employers and the public would support. Assesses the public's support for government-sponsored comprehensive coverage, its concerns about a public health system, and implications for future reform proposals