Innovation Game: Applying Serious Game Design for Better Health, 5 hp

Inlärningsmål

The course aims to provide knowledge of how game design principles are used - in multidisciplinary teams - to develop innovations to meet health challenges. The focus is on using game design for behaviour change beyond pure entertainment (so-called "serious games"), and to create solutions that can promote changes for better health and in healthcare.

After completing the course the participant should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding
• describe theories of behavioural change and give examples of how they can be applied,
• explain how concepts from game design theory can be applied to existing and newly created games

Skills and abilities
• create a solution to a health challenge that includes elements of game design
• apply a procedure (e.g. Design Thinking) to develop an innovation in a team.
• applying knowledge of how team composition, leadership, communication and self-reflection to create effective and creative teams.

Judgement and approach
• evaluate how serious games can be applied in healthcare and to achieve better health and quality of life of individuals and society,
• interpret, critically evaluate, and communicate scientific research relevant to the course topics (i.e. medicine, behavioural science, game design, etc.) in speech and in writing.

Innehåll

The course will discuss innovative processes and new techniques that can improve both healthcare and individual health management. The course will introduce methods and terminology in game design, behaviour change, teamwork and how innovative thinking can be used to understand a problem, generate an idea, visualise a goal and find a creative solution of value to the end- user.

The prerequisites for running projects and solving problems in multidisciplinary teams will be based on self-reflection and identification of competencies and skills. Pedagogy applied is so-called challenge-based learning where the challenges come from the health sector or other external potential stakeholders in the health area. The course will integrate the basics of game design with practical applications of games and simulations as tools with assigned challenges. Game design will also be used as a pedagogic tool to enhance the four pillars of learning: critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. Psychological knowledge theories of behavior change will also be discussed. At the end of the course, the groups will present and defend their ideas and/or solutions to a panel of experts and stakeholders.

Undervisning

The course is given at Uppsala University, in Uppsala during two weeks. The course also includes one weeks of preoperational studies before the schedualed teaching. Teaching is highly student centered with a focus on seminars, team-work and individual studies.

Examination

Preparatory assignments and literature studies are examined through a written home exam and written assignments before the first scheduled day on campus (1 credit). Thereafter, the course is examined through submitted reflections on the group collaboration during the project work and an oral group presentation of the results of the project (2 credits). This also requires compulsory attendance throughout the two campus-weeks of the course. At the end of the course, the results of the project are also presented in a written group report (2 credits).
Since the course is based on group work, active attendance is required during all scheduled teaching moments.
For special reasons, the examiner may exempt from the indicated examination method and allow an alternative examination form. A special reason may for instance be a decision by the University's disability coordinator that special pedagogical support should be provided.

Lärare

Erik Olsson

Kontakt

erik.olsson@kbh.uu.se

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