EDDi Serious Game - Introduction

Abstract

EDDi Serious Game - An Epidemic of Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome in Hamburg Summary: Building on a problem-based self-study approach, EDDi participants will be introduced to the principles and practices of infectious disease epidemiology as well as concepts related to the investigation of disease outbreaks, with particular focus on: Describing infectious disease events and evaluating local outbreak scenarios Learning about basic methods of epidemiological outbreak investigation, study designs, and tools of epidemiology (e.g., epidemiological curves, outbreak maps, technical terms) Interpreting and recognizing associations between outbreak events and relevant influencing factors by applying basic techniques of infectious disease epidemiology (especially descriptive methods) Making informed decisions in outbreak investigation based on epidemiological evidence Extra: Getting to know the structure of the German disease surveillance and reporting system as well as background information on the Hanseatic city of Hamburg Preparation of the Serious Game for Application in Teaching and Capacity Strengthening Resources 1 EDDi Serious Game - for Windows /OR/ Web Player - ***COMING SOON*** 2 EDDi Outbreak Reporting Sheet: Evaluation sheet for discussing the game performance in class 3 EDDi Outbreak Reporting Sheet (Facilitator's Version): Guide for facilitators including solutions Approximate time (classroom teaching set-up) Serious Game approx. 2.5-3 hours (estimate) Completion of Outbreak Summary Report approx. 20 minutes (estimate) Joint Discussion for Follow-Up approx. 30 minutes (estimate) Welcome Tutorial and Epidemiological Cheat Sheet As the EDDi Serious Game (Windows / Web Player) requires a basic understanding of infectious disease epidemiology concepts and terminology, refreshing some background knowledge through the EDDi Welcome Tutorial is recommended, either individually or in small groups. There is a total of six educational videos to prepare for the different tasks of the exercise. The tutorial can be given to students as preparatory homework and could be further supplemented with additional questions. In addition, students may be advised to familiarize themselves with the Epidemiology Cheat Sheet and bring a copy. Materials needed Ensure that students are able to access the EDDi Serious Game (Windows / Web Player) and that devices fulfill the game's system requirements (see System Requirements below). In preparation for the final follow-up discussion, each student should have a printout of the EDDi Reporting Sheet. A calculator is needed for some of the tasks. In addition, headphones can be recommended to students, though the sound in the game is not essential for completing the assignment. System Requirements The Serious Game is available for Windows (.exe, all files from the zip folder are required for the game to run!) and via web browser (Unity WebGL Player). It is optimized for widescreen (16:9) and standard resolution 1920x1080 pixels. https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/system-requirements.html Operating System | Windows 7 SP1+, 8, 10, 64-bit versions only GPU | Graphic card supporting DX10 (Shader-Modell 4.0) RAM | Minimum 4 GB storage Workflow #1 Make sure you have completed all preparations and all printouts are available. #2 Before starting the EDDi Serious Game (Windows / Web Player) exercise, explain the overall outline of the exercise (learning objectives, resources needed, estimated time to complete the game) and the game's system requirements to the students. The Serious Game can either be used in class or given to students as a take-home assignment. In either case, ensure that students have access to the game. Since it is a Single Player Game, students may tackle the outbreak alone or in a small group together with their peers. The game itself will guide them through its storyline, tasks, and reference materials. But beware: There’s currently no option to save any game progress. If the player quits EDDi, it crashes, or their device accidentally loses power, they will be reset to the start of the mission. If students play EDDi in a small group, remind them to take enough time to carefully discuss and evaluate their findings and clues in the group. #3 Throughout the game, students will encounter frequent pointers on how they're performing. If the Serious Game is used in face-to-face classroom teaching, you may also assist with questions. Make sure to keep an eye on the time! #4 At the end of the Serious Game exercise (at home or in the classroom), students are to fill out an EDDi Reporting Sheet. The report should serve as the basis for a final joint discussion in the cohort. The Serious Game exercise should therefore close with a face-to-face outbreak wrap-up and exchange of findings and experiences, moderated by the facilitator via the EDDi Reporting Sheet-Facilitator's Version (approx. 30 minutes). Students can also evaluate their final game statistics themselves using the Facilitator's Version. To learn more about the real outbreak event, further reading materials can be found in the EDDi Read.Me and shared with the class. Extra: Being a third-party-funded project, EDDi was completed in September 2023. There is no continuing technical support. If you would like to revise, rewrite, or build a new narrative upon this case study, all materials are available under an open license.This resource is published under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). The license's terms and conditions for further use and distribution apply. For editable materials and further information on EDDi visit https://linktr.ee/e.d.d.i