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Amyloids: Enlightening The Public On Alzheimer’s

By Heong Weng Mak -
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Game Based Learning Platform, Amyloids Teaches  About the Cause of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s is an incredibly terrifying disease that has a detrimental impact on both the patient and his or her family. Although there is little comfort and no cure for Alzheimer’s symptoms as of yet, leaning about the disease may help alleviate the stress that comes along with a loved one going through the horrific reality of being diagnosed with the condition.

In a masterful attempt at an educational game, Alzheimer’s Research UK has created a game called Amyloids that is a wonderful reminder of asteroids, the game teaches players that a build-up of proteins called amyloids damage nerve cells in the brain. The objective of the game is to protect the nerve cells from the amyloid proteins for up to 25 levels. Hopefully, a drug that functions the same as the player of this game will be released soon to save those who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Games increase brain function and benefit memory along with several other benefits. Unfortunately, the reality is there is no medical solution to a loved one developing Alzheimer’s disease, but games that promote learning could be the first step toward combating the disease from taking hold on an individual.

Medical science is a field that video game producers are breaking into as an outlet to demonstrate the video game industry’s maturity and power to have a positive impact on user experience. Game production giants, such as Nintendo and Ubisoft, are breaking into the medical field to alleviate patient symptoms and experiences. The gamification efforts of medical experts and the video game industry may soon change the world.

Image credit: flickr

Boosting Classroom Engagement with Kahoot!

By Heong Weng Mak -
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Attempting to attain an entire class’s attention can easily become a losing battle. Whether it’s reviewing for a test, learning new material, or the act of test taking itself, the act of taking formative and summative assessments can become more interactive. This can easily be accomplished by using Kahoot.

With so many games in education nowadays, it is easy to get your hands on something that can make learning fun — but how much information will the students actually retain? Sure, Jeopardy is competitive and the entire class participates, but do your students walk away confident in the material?

Here’s how it works: the instructor logs on to Kahoot’s main screen through their personal device where they can choose a public game or one that they have previously made. Then, the students log on to the Kahoot game page through their smartphones or computers and enter the code to join the game. From there, the instructor can move at their own pace with the class as the students answer multiple choice or discussion questions, or participate in a poll. As each round progresses, the students are able to see who is in the lead and by how many points. At the game’s conclusion, the students can rate the game on entertainment, education, and validity levels. The best part about Kahoot? You can save the students’ data.

In a study provided by the Kahoot! Journal, it reported: “students that did the game-based quiz (Kahoot!), learned 22% more than students that did paper quizzes, and 52% more than students that used the student-response system Clickers.” Since paper exams are what one would typically find in a classroom, it is enlightening to know that the students took away more material from a quiz that incorporates visual interaction over the standard paper format. The Kahoot! Journal also shared that the student engagement of those who participated in the Kahoot game was “46% higher than students doing the paper quiz, and 55% higher than the students that used the student-response system.”

Kahoot is an excellent tool to use in the classroom, not only to further engage your students, but to make sure they come away knowing more than they did at the beginning of class. Signing up for a Kahoot account is 100% free, as is access to their database of pre-made games. Kahoot is a tool that you will use repeatedly in your classroom that your students are sure to fall in love with. With Kahoot, you can leave the paper tests behind and make learning awesome!

Image credit: flickr

 

How Serious Games Can Help with Online Fundraising

By Heong Weng Mak -
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If you could apply a game-based approach to nonprofit fundraising online, would you? Online fundraising is a continuous challenge for nonprofits, competing with each other for donations through e-mail or on websites. Serious games in online fundraising events provide motivating ways to raise money for causes and connect with others.

A leading event fundraising platform, Crowdrise, includes gamified approaches on its platform. Individuals or teams use the website to raise funds for charitable or personal causes. The site shows amounts raised, numbers of donors, and goals for fundraisers. Users may also enjoy opportunities to gain points on their profiles as they participate in Crowdrise fundraisers.

Crowdrise includes various game elements, such as leaderboards that display how the competition stacks up. Bonus Challenges are another interesting feature, as well as results tracking features. The site provides inspiration to people interested in fundraising, who may choose to hold contests or offer creative incentives. In addition, recognition is given in continuously updated stats on donors and comments.

Gamification appears in numerous online fundraising events. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which began in 2014, received significant attention and raised an impressive amount for the ALS Association. This challenge involved social incentives, such as bragging rights and connecting with others. It also presented the challenge of completing the ice bucket task.

In 2013, a Facebook game called the Half the Sky Movement experienced impressive results. The game, developed in partnership with Zynga, gained thousands of players in the short time span of 3 months. The game format for this movement involved an online adventure where people invited friends to join.

Approaches to using gamification in online fundraising involve features found in traditional board games or video games. Examples of game elements include points, badges, teams, and rewards for achieving specific goals. It also involves a friendly level of competition. People who participate may enjoy the recognition. Team members may enjoy connecting with other like-minded people who are passionate about a cause online. In many instances, people enjoy spreading the word about fundraising games or competitions through social media.

It’s possible to engage people through serious games online in ways other methods don’t. Gamification provides a structure to the fundraising objectives that otherwise sometimes get lost in people’s minds. According to the article “Is Gamification the Future of Philanthropy“, the design of the game is probably just as important as the fundraising event. If the format of the fundraising event compels users to participate and invite others, the effectiveness likely goes up. It’s important to consider human behavior with games, as well as short-term interest versus long-term dedication to a game.

Many nonprofits will likely continue to use gamification in their online fundraising efforts. Even if games aren’t solely used for online fundraising, game aspects can still be applied. This includes incentives such as access, power, relevant rewards, and social benefits.

Credit image: Pixabay

 

VirZoom: New Gamification Startup Gets Physical!

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VirZoom Combines Virtual Reality and Fitness Technology

Gamification is about to get… “Physical, physical!”

 Ok, it may not be getting Olivia Newton-John physical, but one gamification startup will help you get sweaty enough to keep that New Year’s resolution and shed a few pounds by scoring points in the world of Virtual Reality (VR), that is the Virtual Reality world of Fitness.

VirZoom, a tech startup out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, has combined new VR headset technology with the old-fashioned tech of a stationary bike to created a unique gaming platform that requires you to provide the pedaling power necessary to conquer it’s three games… Pegasus, Stampede! and Go Fast Car.

Correspondent Ethan Gilsdorf recently noted in the Boston Globe that, “Ideally, the VR technology, complete with auditory and visual feedback, will fool the unsuspecting couch potato,” so that according to VirZoom’s CTO Eric Malafeew, ”the bike melts away.” And hopefully, the pounds melt away too.

VirZoom’s headset is being developed to work with Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, and HTC Vive VR making it easy to work with either your personal computer or Sony PlayStation 4. Simply plug-in your dongle, launch the app, climb onboard the VirZoom foldable bike and pedal away through it’s animated worlds. Your physical fitness will be challenged by multiple levels which run three to 15 minutes long and can be played as a solo workout or in a more competitive, multiplayer mode.

This new trend of VR Fitness could be poised to finally conquer the monotony of treadmills, as well as providing the gaming incentive needed to keep those New Year’s resolutions.

Credit image: Wikipedia

AssessMs: Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis with Microsoft’s Kinect

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AssessMs Taps Microsoft’s Kinect Technology To Diagnose Multiple Sclerosis

When Microsoft introduced its Kinect motion-sensing camera, the technology brought a new element to console gaming. Kinect tracks and captures a player’s movements, then translates them into the play of a game. Now a large pharmaceutical company is partnering with Microsoft to apply that technology for a therapeutic purpose. In a new application of games in health care, Novartis is betting that the Kinect technology can be used to track the progress of multiple sclerosis, and in turn, play a role in developing new treatments for the disease.

The muscular dysfunction of MS affects more than 400,000 people in the United States; 2.5 million people around the world, according to Healthline. The disease is diagnosed through a series of physical tests, which are observed by a physician. But MS is challenging to diagnose, in part because physicians rely on their memory and their eyesight to evaluate changes in a patient’s symptoms, explains Bloomberg Business. Imprecision in scoring these tests also causes problems for the drug companies trying to develop new treatments. The inconsistency means that drug companies need to test their therapies on more patients, which takes more time and money.

Novartis is working with Microsoft to develop a system called AssessMS. The technology will use a Kinect motion-sensing camera to capture the physical movements that patients do in the standard MS-diagnostic tests. Software will recognize the degree of impairment, which will help physicians diagnose the disease. At least, that’s what researchers are hoping.

More work still needs to be done. Microsoft still needs to prove that its technology will work in this new diagnostic application. And Novartis will need to get the Food and Drug Administration to approve the new device for use in this new diagnostic application. But researchers are hopeful. If it works, a technology that was originally developed to make console games more interactive for players will have a hand in paving the way for new treatments for patients.

3 Games in education Examples For the Classroom

By Heong Weng Mak -
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Looking at games in education for the classroom, as a teacher you might wonder if it is right for you. So let’s see if we can’t answer that question, shall we? Every child learns differently. This is a fact. Some children learn from reading a book. Some children learn from hands on experiences. Yes, some children even learn from playing video games. In fact, history teaches us that most children do.

As this technological age develops, it is more important than ever to keep up with the times. There are a number of computer games that will help you keep your students’ attention as well as help them to learn in a new and exciting way. These games include ABCya!, FunBrain, and even the game that has lasted through the ages, Carmen Sandiego.

ABCya! is an online gaming world for grades Pre K through the 5th grade. The focus is on mainly math and language arts skills. The children can choose which game they would like to play by grade level. These games can also be played on their parents tablets if their parents want to expand the learning to include at home play.

FunBrain is a favorite of a lot of home schooled students. The home school platforms K12 and Mosaica use FunBrain in their curriculum. FunBrain has videos, games, and even quizzes to insure that the children are learning the material. The focus is mainly on math, language arts, and science.

Carmen Sandiego has been a long time favorite of educators. Carmen Sandiego teaches geography and history in a way that no other option can. Children remember what they learn from the mysteries that they have to solve in order to find the ever elusive Carmen Sandiego, and they do it without even realizing that they are learning.

Games in education are great tools to help you as a teacher reinforce your lessons so that your students get it on their level. These are only a few of the games that a teacher can have in their toolbox. Children will have fun and learn all at the same time.

Credit image: flickr

Video Games Research Turns Into Physical Therapy for Stroke Patients

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Video Game Research Reveal Opportunities for Application in Stroke Therapy

There are two schools of thought on the best way to help regain the muscle movement and dexterity lost by those who suffer a stroke. Some people believe that patients should not move at all unless in the presence of a physical therapist, according to David Putrino, director of telemedicine and virtual rehabilitation at the Burke Medical Research Institute. But the other, diametrically opposite view, holds that a stroke patient should move as much as possible. Putrino subscribes to the latter view and he found medical evidence to support that position. Dabbling with games in health care, he developed a video game with applications in physical therapy for stroke patients.

The game employs a small, hand-held motion-capture device that translates the movement of a patient’s hands into the movements of an airplane, explains Metro. Using the device, the patient must attempt to fly the plane through obstacles that appear on a tablet’s screen. As the patient’s hand movement improves, the game becomes progressively harder.

The Burke Institute conducted a six-week pilot study using the video game as stroke therapy. That study was originally intended to see if chronic stroke patients would be open to, and comfortable with, a video game approach to physical therapy. But the researchers also found measurable clinical benefit in those six weeks. Even more, the pilot study’s results suggest that the game brought about a patient response that encouraged them to keep playing the game in order to get better.

“Playing the video game got them excited about therapy,” Putrino told New York’s ABC7. “It got them thinking about therapy and thinking, you know what, I’m going to beat that level next time so I’m going to practice at home.”

Putrino hopes to eventually bring the product into patient homes, where it could become a regular and routine part of the patient’s day. The researchers are also looking at expanding the game’s application to physical therapy for other conditions, such as cerebral palsy.

But researchers concede that expanding the game for use with young kids will require improvements in gaming technology. Putrino said that young kids, who are very familiar with the look and feel of modern video games, have higher expectations for their games – even if the game is for the benefit of physical therapy. But with this stroke research in hand, the Burke Institute researchers now have the foundation to build games with broader physical therapy applications.

Image credit: flickr

Detecting ADHD Early with CogCubed’s Groundskeeper

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Groundskeeper: An Innovative Game That Spots ADHD Early

ADHD is one of those medical issues that come into the limelight more often than not for those diagnosed with the condition being over medicated, or receiving false diagnosis. ADHD is however a true problem for all ages of people, and in most cases it is both hard to treat as well as diagnose. Games in health are improving the experiences of consumers, and developers at CogCubed are working for those that suffer from ADHD.

Gamification of healthcare is a useful device in measuring the attention span of the players of a game with simplistic mechanics. With the implementation of small blocks that depict renderings of video game characters or scenes, developers at CogCubed have made something fun yet scientifically relevant. The MIT Media Lab has weaved these ingenious little cube instruments that sparked the idea of this whack-a-mole style game known as “Groundskeeper.” The game is capable of determining the two different types of ADHD. Interactivity makes the cubes the perfect devices to allow the developers at CogCubed to test the behavioral well-being of people. ADHD is found in over 9% of the U.S. population. The methods CogCubed have developed in trying to revolutionize the way ADHD is recognized are substantial for diagnosis.

The Games for Health Journal posted the great results for the product in 2013 showing that Grounds Keeper confirmed the diagnosis of 70% in all categories of ADHD, in all test subjects. A mixture of MDs and PHDs developing the software leads one to believe that this product will soon be presented to children in psychiatrists’ offices around the United States. Hopefully, more games like this can help to solve the problems medical sciences alone have yet to decipher or work toward a nicer experience for consumers.

Credit image: flickr

Exploring Career Options with NCSU’s Gamified Course

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Nazareth College Career Services held its first Spring Job & Internship Fair in the Kidera Gym. 50 + organizations such as Excellus Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Paychex, and Rochester AmeriCorps were in attendance. The fair offered Nazareth students exclusive access to recruiters for full-time and part-time jobs, as well as internship opportunities for all majors. #NazarethCollege #GoldenFlyer #NazarethInterns

How a Gamified Course Helps College Students Choose Careers

For some college students, the hardest academic choice they need to make is selecting a major. The difficulty is compounded by their awareness that what they study in college has a strong bearing on what they will do for their career. North Carolina State University has turned to gamification to help students with these choices. By making a game part of the education process, university officials say that they can help students make more informed choices about their college studies and their future careers.

NC State’s Distance Education & Learning Technology Applications developed a game for the university’s Introduction to Sport Management course. The game was developed in Moodle (which stands for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment), an open-source learning management system, explains EdTech Magazine. In the game students must acquire points within 14 different skill sets applying to 10 different career paths. These careers range from media, sports tourism, coaching, or general manager of a sports team, among other choices. Edwin Lindsay, a professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, tells EdTech that the university’s goal was to expose students to various entry-level jobs available, but do so in the form of a game. He adds that conducting the course as a game makes students aware of other jobs that might be a better match.

The game rewards students for completing an activity, and rewards them again for achieving a certain number of points. The game not only helps students select careers, it also helps them learn more about their strengths and weaknesses so they can figure out what to improve to prepare for a specific career. One of the advantages of the game, Lindsay says, is that it gives students the opportunity to try things in an environment where it’s O.K. to fail. That way, students are better prepared to succeed when they move on to careers in the real world.

The game is not just limited to sports management. Based on the results of the game in that department, other university departments are adapting it for their students. EdTech says the NC State’s horticulture department has launched gamified courses, and others departments are considering following suit.

Credit image: flickr

5 Examples Gamification in Consumer Engagement Space

By Heong Weng Mak -
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The gamification market is estimated to be worth about $2.8 billion, having increased 10 fold over 3 years. Widely used in staff training or education, there is now a growing trend toward adding gamification to drive consumer engagement and loyalty.

The online environment vastly increases the possibilities for the use of gaming to engage customers . You can turn your instructions into simulations that can demonstrate your products. Virtual tours have become popular for the travel industry and real estate industries. Virtual environments can also apply to the use of products. Customers can try products in a virtual environment and be rewarded for their efforts.

Gamification in Marketing:

To help it in its competition with larger snack manufacturers, as a brand-builder, San Francisco-based Klip, manufacturer of Popchips began inserting virtual coupons into hundreds of mobile games. These coupons pop up as rewards for points and are redeemable for free bags of chips .

Foursquare is a mobile app in which customers at restaurants “check-in” to virtual locations and get rewarded for the number of check-ins, ultimately earning the title of “Mayor.” Restaurant owners describe it as a “virtual maitre’ d.”

Simulation for Customer Onboarding:

Gamification is the perfect tool for customer onboarding. If you are in an industry where you have to teach customers how to use your products. Deploying a simulation or interactive element into your sales presentation or into your instructions can be a perfect addition. This approach can be used to introduce existing customers to new versions of a product, to demonstrate advanced features, or when customers are renewing their existing subscriptions.

  • Garmin receivers have a simulation mode built into their GPS units to get their customers up and running.
  • Dassault Systems has been offering simulation software to manufacturing business customers to train operators. This kind of training has become increasingly prominent in technical and medical fields.

Gamication for customer loyalty:

Gamification can be a form of feedback. Reward customers for participation for asking questions, making suggestions, or making referrals using redeemable tokens that can be exchanged for rewards like increased data storage space or merchandise. A form of gamification has long been part of loyalty programs in Starbucks and other retailers. Purchases are rewarded with points or “stars” which translate into free merchandise. As customers accumulate stars they rise in rank and can expect more rewards as they advance. The Starbucks “My Starbucks Rewards” program makes use a mobile app to offer rewards for purchases.

Credit image: flickr

Applying Games in Education As Learning Models

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With recent incentive from President Obama, games in education are taking off anew. According to a recent article from Gamespot, the president has just initiated a $4-million plan called “Computer Science for Everyone” which may look toward game models as a learning method. To quote Whitehouse Deputy Director Tom Kalil, “Certainly video games are an entry point for some young people. The reason why some kids might get interested in computer science is because they like to play them, but they also want to make them.”

Video game companies are on board with timely new updates, such as Microsoft’s Minecraft. Their Minecraft: Education Edition is designed to update the older MinecraftEDU by offering new environments and interface features for building, as well as offering students the ability to work on their projects from home in addition to in the classroom. According to a January, 2016, article in The Guardian, one drawback of the new software is that it’s written in C++, which is incompatible with the older java script of MinecraftEDU. However, Microsoft is hopeful this won’t deter their loyal gamers too much, and they are counting on the new edition to become popular with brand new young users in classrooms.

Another viable piece of software is the latest edition of Classcraft, which is a role-play game designed specifically for use in the classroom. Classcraft won the 2015 National School Board Association’s Technology Innovation Showcase Award. According to a 2014 Venturebeat.com article, there were 7,000 children in 25 countries using Classcraft at that time. Educator Shawn Young, who uses Classcraft in his classroom, was quoted as saying about his students, “The second they get into class, they want to know what’s going to happen [with the game].” Our 2013 article explains the basics of the Classcraft premise. In the Fall of 2014, Classcraft debuted an edition that, according to The Journal, features “free iOS apps for iPhone and iPad; interactive forums; student analytics; customizable characters; and new Spanish, German and Dutch translations.

So if you’re a teacher and you remember enjoying “Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego” and “Sim City”, then you are probably in a good place to lead your students into the realm of growing demand for updated gamification in the classroom.

Image credit: Wikimedia

Improving Surgical Skills with Medical Simulations

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NEW ORLEANS (April 17, 2012) Rear Adm. Elizabeth Niemyer, director of Navy Nurse Corps and deputy chief of Installations and Logistics, performs CPR on a medical simulation device used by students at Louisiana State University Health Science Center. The event took place during New Orleans Navy Week, one of 15 Navy weeks planned across America for 2012. Navy weeks are designed to increase awareness in cities that do not have a significant Navy presence. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Joshua Treadwell/Released) 120417-N-SE516-009 Join the conversation http://www.facebook.com/USNavy http://www.twitter.com/USNavy http://navylive.dodlive.mil

Studies Reveal New Ways Simulators Can Improve Surgical Skills

Two studies are taking a fresh look at an old standby of medical education and game based learning: simulators.  With growing focus on optimizing education and skill in medical practitioners, tools and curriculum for their training are being given another look.

Simulation is routinely used in surgical education for residents. The standard protocol is to utilize virtual training, covering one procedure until residents show proficiency in that surgical area.  The resident is then able to move on to the next module and continue training.  The American College of Surgeons reports that researchers at Drexel University found that overlearning, or training beyond the point of ability, with a surgical simulator resulted in a better outcome.  Surgical trainees who overlearned with simulators reduced the learning curve, had a higher degree of mastery, retained the learned information longer, and preformed their procedures 20% faster than those who only trained until competence. Study author, Dr. Castellanos hopes that, “If we combine overlearning with starting residents doing more complex things early in their training, we think we can train a more efficient and better surgeon.”

Nursing education is the focus of a research study done by Dr. Clarke, head of Neurosurgery at Dalhousie University in Halifax,Nova Scotia. Medical training software PeriopSim has been chosen as the simulation tool being used in this study.  The study builds on the knowledge gained in 2009 when simulation innovation NeurotouchTM was used to perform the world’s first virtual brain surgery. While simulation is becoming widely used in curriculum for both graduate and undergraduate nursing programs, research studies into the efficacy of such training and its implementation are scarce. Perioperative nurses presently gain surgical skills in the operating room under the tutelage of a more experienced perioperative nurse.   This limited clinical instruction has proven to be inadequate as these nurses increasingly must function competently in a variety of specialties employing a number of intricate procedures and all which utilize an assortment of instruments.  The new methods of instruction for advancing knowledge and skill are vital to keeping up with the mounting professional expectations of perioperative nurses.

Simulation training is rapidly becoming a staple in medical education. As technological and educational trends merge, reexamining and renovating the role of simulation training in practitioner education could be key to delivering cost effective and safe methods of cultivating increased skill mastery and surgical team efficiency.  For more ways gamification is revolutionizing education, healthcare, and more, please visit our website.

Credit image: Wikimedia

Boosting Children’s Physical Wellbeing with Zamzee

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Zamzee
090611-N-3271W-003 CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (June 11, 2009) Local area children test their fitness skills during a Junior Seal Fitness Challenge at Warner Park organized by the Navy and the Chattanooga Parks and Recreation Department. The event is in conjunction with Chattanooga Navy Week, one of 21 Navy Weeks planned across America in 2009. Navy Weeks are designed to show Americans the investment they have made in their Navy and increase awareness in cities that do not have a significant Navy presence. (U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward/Released)

Zamzee Gamification Software Turns Kids on to Physical Activity

Health care experts warn that child obesity rates are rising to alarming levels. With the increase in obesity-related medical conditions, such as diabetes, it’s no wonder that parents and health professionals alike are looking for ways to keep children healthy. A good diet is one part of the equation. But an equally important part of child health is physical activity. Gamification startup HopeLab developed a technological way to keep kids on the move while tracking this activity at the same time. The company’s gamification software is called Zamzee.

While many children may understand that physical activity is good for their health, getting them to exercise and to stick to any kind of physical routine is challenging. According to HopeLab, child physical activity declines 60 percent between the ages of 9 and 15. That’s no coincidence. That age range coincides with the period when child use of computers, mobile devices, and other technology increases.

Zamzee takes children’s affinity for technology and turns it into a way to engage their interest in physical activity. Children wear a Zamzee activity meter that tracks their physical activity and calculates the intensity of the movement. The tracker works with the website Zamzee.com, which engages children by presenting them with games and challenges that they must complete by doing physical activity, explains Xconomy.

Besides presenting children with physical games, Zamzee.com also allows children to track their own activity. Kids can create their own avatar on the website and follow that avatar’s progress from level to level as they increase their physical activity. Zamzee encourages more physical activity through a rewards system that awards tech gadgets, gaming consoles, gift cards, and donations to charity.

There’s evidence that Zamzee works. In six-month study co-sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the physical activity of children using Zamzee increased by nearly 60 percent. According to HopeLab, that physical activity had a positive effect on the risk factors associated with diabetes and heart disease.

The potential for Zamzee to become part of a comprehensive approach to health caught the eye of one company. Welltok, which provides a health optimization software platform to health insurance companies and healthcare organizations, acquired Zamzee in order to incorporate it into its CafeWell software. As part of a larger company, Zamzee has the potential to reach and help many more children.

Image credit: Wikimedia

A Brief Overview of Gamification in Healthcare

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Use of games in healthcare has become a focus among startup companies, largely concentrating on combining self-monitoring with games. The question remains if these new gamification products can lead to sustainable modification in healthcare behavior, especially among those who need it most. Gamification developers want to focus on the self-management of chronic conditions. Healthcare providers want to offer games to their clients, but privacy restrictions have added some legal an ethical wrinkles in the area of health care gaming design. Privacy restrictions are making it difficult to design healthcare feedback competitive gaming designs for those who would most benefit from them.

Physical Fitness:

  • An app called Pact (available in the App store or Goggle Play) tracks fitness progress on mobile devices. It is a member-driven system. Members who don’t meet their fitness standards have to contribute money into a fund that rewards members who do meet their standards.
  • The tendency among people to compete, especially in areas of fitness, has prompted the development of many apps that compare performances. Some companies are hosting walking competitions, giving their employees wrist worn activity trackers like Fitbits. Scoring on these trackers is the basis for contests and rewards for fitness.
  • Local bicycling organizations have employed I-Phone apps to create competitions out of bicycle trails. In one case, timing is available for each portion of a hilly cross-country trail and times are monitored and ranks among cross-country enthusiasts who get championships for records broken and first-position rankings.
  • Health care insurers are experimenting with health care gaming. UnitedHealth, a Minnesota-based insurer has recently begun offering an app called “OptimizeMe” which allows people to participate in fitness-related contests with their friends.

Medical Training:

Gaming has been tried experimentally in the graduate training of medical doctors. in a trial at the University of Alabama. A web-based medical knowledge competition program was initiated at the university and “leader-boards” were set up. Reports are that the knowledge game, played on both individual and team bases received widespread acceptance and contributed to medical training.

Medications:

Mango Health is an app that rewards  people for sticking to their medicine regimens. The system issues reminder alerts and rewards patients with points every time they take their medication. If they stay on schedule, patients can earn rewards such as gift certificates or dollar donations to charities.

Physical Therapy:

Reflexion Health uses a video feedback system to correct the movements of patients practice physical therapy based exercises. The system works in patients’ homes. Movements are modeled by animated figures.  Motion guided technology compares the patients movements with those of the models and gives guidance and correction suggestions.

Most critics of gamification in healthcare are pointing to limitations in game design as a factor that is slowing adoption of health care games on a large scale. The current fitness competition design has only limited application in health care and applies only to a relatively healthy group. Clearly healthcare gamification is only in its infancy.

Credit image: Pixabay

Teaching Kids About Cybersecurity with Game Based Training

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game based training

Teaching Kids the Importance of Cybersecurity Through Games

Acknowledging a growing need for a digitally literate workforce that uses technology in a safe and secure way, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security created a program that highlights the potential of game based training to educate young students about the importance cybersecurity.

The DHS National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS) offers links to cybersecurity training games from a mix of public and private sources. These sites offer information and practice with programming, security concepts for computers and networks, defense against cyber attacks, and even practice questions for cybersecurity certification exams. A wide range of material provides a challenge for students at any age — from the cartoon-based Dewie the Turtle to the sophisticated role play of CyberCIEGE.

NICCS recommends cybersecurity gamification as part of a broader “Hands-On Learning” approach for students, meant to augment and expand more traditional classroom work.  The interactive cybersecurity games and quizzes are a flexible and fun way for kids to build key technical skills, especially when added to activities such as clubs and competitions.

Studies in cybersecurity education (such as this one from the International Cyber Center at George Mason University) concluded that using games to deliver training is very effective, given a game that is well-designed, engaging and has a clear end goal. For students, educators and parents, access to game based training in cybersecurity will be an important part of building a highly skilled and tech-savvy workforce. In turn, that workforce will play a critical role in protecting the infrastructure and economy of 21st century America.

Image credit: flickr

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