| Title | Student-Designed Learning Mini-Games in Higher Education for Use in the Classroom: Creating an Educational Video Game About Pharmacology with Game Design and Nursing, A Case Study |
| Presenter(s) | Jonah Warren, Sheila Molony, Carolyn Macica, Eileen Herman, Greg Garvey and Gary Pandolfi |
| Session | Conference Reception, Game Exhibition, and Poster Session |
| Time | Thursday, October 11, 7:00p-10:00p |
| Location | MSU Union Ballroom |
| Format | Poster Presentation |
| Description | The last decade has seen significant growth in game design degree programs. Considering the number of students practicing game design in higher education, their proximity to experts in a variety of fields, and the pedagogical potential of games, should institutions support the creation of student-developed educational mini-games for use in their curricula? Can students who are actively engaged in learning the skills of game design create effective learning experiences about subjects they aren't familiar with? Can these games be used within an institution to enhance learning outcomes and support overloaded, content-heavy curricula? This case study begins to explore answers to these questions within a specific context: a collaboration between undergraduate game design and nursing school programs at Quinnipiac University. The goal of the collaboration was to create an educational game about the basic concepts of pharmacology that could be used within the classroom at Quinnipiac as a tool for learning. This case study includes a review of the collaboration's structure, an examination of the development process, a description of the final game, and a study of its effectiveness as a learning tool. Promising post-test results from an initial study of 111 undergraduate nursing students point to the potential of using student-developed games in the classroom and support our approach. |
