Abstract

Innovative game-based training methods that leverage the ubiquity of cellphones and familiarity with phone-based interfaces have the potential to transform the training of public health practitioners in low-income countries such as Liberia. This article describes the design, development, and testing of a prototype of the Figure It Out mobile game. The prototype game uses a disease outbreak scenario to promote evidence-based decision-making in determining the causative agent and prescribing intervention measures to minimize epidemiological and logistical burdens in resource-limited settings. An initial prototype of the game developed by the US team was playtested and evaluated by focus groups with 20 University of Liberia Masters of Public Health (UL MPH) students. Results demonstrate that the learning objectives—improving search skills for identifying scientific evidence and considering evidence before decision-making during a public health emergency—were considered relevant and important in a setting that has repeatedly and recently experienced severe threats to public health. However, some of the game mechanics that were thought to enhance engagement such as trial-and-error and choose-your-own-path gameplay, were perceived by the target audience as distracting or too time-consuming, particularly in the context of a realistic emergency scenario. Gameplay metrics that mimicked real-world situations around lives lost, money spent, and time constraints during public health outbreaks were identified as relatable and necessary considerations. Our findings reflect cultural differences between the game development team and end users that have emphasized the need for end users to have an integral part of the design team; this formative evaluation has critically informed next steps in the iterative development process. Our multidisciplinary, cross-cultural and cross-national design team will be guided by Liberia-based public health students and faculty, as well as community members who represent our end user population in terms of experience and needs. These stakeholders will make key decisions regarding game objectives and mechanics, to be vetted and implemented by game design experts, epidemiologists, and software developers.

Highlights

  • Mobile game-based learning has been increasingly applied to enhance learning motivation in a technology-driven world [1,2,3]

  • Greater access to mobile technology has extended the potential reach of Mobile game-based learning (mGBL), and user willingness and eagerness to engage with technology-based learning platforms in resource-constrained settings [5, 6]

  • In resource-constrained settings, efforts have been made to develop learning tools that require minimal memory and bandwidth to account for connection and technology constraints and that draw from local context and culture to increase motivation and engagement in education [8, 9]

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Summary

Introduction

Mobile game-based learning (mGBL) has been increasingly applied to enhance learning motivation in a technology-driven world [1,2,3]. Mobile game-based learning enables educators to connect the classroom and the real world by introducing skills and content as students engage with authentic scenarios and settings on their phones or tablets [4]. Greater access to mobile technology has extended the potential reach of mGBL, and user willingness and eagerness to engage with technology-based learning platforms in resource-constrained settings [5, 6]. In resource-constrained settings, efforts have been made to develop learning tools that require minimal memory and bandwidth to account for connection and technology constraints and that draw from local context and culture to increase motivation and engagement in education [8, 9].

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