Abstract:

We are creating a serious game in Oncobiology that will allow the player to support clinical decisions with biological data, with the aim of promoting hypothesis-driven clinical research. Physicians in general and oncologists in particular are in constant need for continuous learning. In cancer management, biology plays a crucial role, as new advancements from basic science are constantly being translated into clinical practice. Serious games are becoming an important subject of research as they are a tool with increasing potential to the acquisition of knowledge and training of skills. We decided to develop a serious game as a point and click adventure as we thought that it would best fit the theme and experience we wanted the player to have. We also decided it would be a good format to stimulate curiosity and a research-oriented attitude. We opted for a Hospital themed game where the player assumes the role of a medical doctor in residency training which is put in charge of a clinical case and has to make step-wise decisions based on clinical and biological information. This was done in order to promote situated and authentic learning where the player can relate what is being learnt within the game to his experience in the outside world. The game is structured in two layers: a clinical layer and a biological layer. The clinical layer focuses on the narrative, providing the player with the situations and choices he should face from a clinical standpoint. The biological layer consists of a serious of mini-games and short-term interactions, designed to present the player with biological evidence so that he can support the clinical decisions and solve the case. We decided to use this structure so we could approach these two essential sides of cancer management in a way that highlights their relevance and shows how they influence each other. This paper documents the design choices made in the development of the Oncobiology Game.

Keywords:

Medical education, oncobiology, serious games, design choices.