In open societies where individuals make their own decisions about social gatherings, personal health, political affiliations, and personal beliefs, such individualized thoughts and actions can exact a cost on collective public health, such as during the SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 pandemic (November 2019 - present). Such a context requires persuasion in various forms. If recent history is any indication, however, social media and other technologies have had mixed effects in this space. Could an electronic game better inform decision making about an invisible pathogen that is air-transmissible and lead to better informed choices? That is the thesis in a chapter the author had published in an edited edition. (The title of the work is "Incisive Real-Time Biosafety Decision-Making Under Societal Reopening: An Ego-Level Decision-Tree Understructure for a Serious Game (in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era)" (2021) [See Ch. 5 in https://www.igi-global.com/book/simulation-game-based-learning-emergency/244340.] This session describes the use of a decision tree as a base for a serious game and offers some ideas for an aesthetic wrap around a potential game. Also, there is focus on the various legal and ethical considerations if such a game were fully created and deployed.

1. A SERIOUS GAME
UNDERSTRUCTURE
FOR
THE PANDEMIC ERA
SHALIN HAI-JEW
SIDLIT 2022
JULY 27 – 29, 2022

2. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
• IN OPEN SOCIETIES WHERE INDIVIDUALS MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS ABOUT SOCIAL GATHERINGS,
PERSONAL HEALTH, POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS, AND PERSONAL BELIEFS, SUCH INDIVIDUALIZED
THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS CAN EXACT A COST ON COLLECTIVE PUBLIC HEALTH, SUCH AS DURING
THE SARS-COV-2 / COVID-19 PANDEMIC (NOVEMBER 2019 - PRESENT). SUCH A CONTEXT
REQUIRES PERSUASION IN VARIOUS FORMS. IF RECENT HISTORY IS ANY INDICATION, HOWEVER,
SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER TECHNOLOGIES HAVE HAD MIXED EFFECTS IN THIS SPACE. COULD AN
ELECTRONIC GAME BETTER INFORM DECISION MAKING ABOUT AN INVISIBLE PATHOGEN THAT IS AIR-
TRANSMISSIBLE AND LEAD TO BETTER INFORMED CHOICES?
2

3. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW (CONT.)
• THAT IS THE THESIS IN A CHAPTER THE AUTHOR HAD PUBLISHED IN AN EDITED EDITION. (THE
TITLE OF THE WORK IS "INCISIVE REAL-TIME BIOSAFETY DECISION-MAKING UNDER SOCIETAL
REOPENING: AN EGO-LEVEL DECISION-TREE UNDERSTRUCTURE FOR A SERIOUS GAME (IN THE
COVID-19 PANDEMIC ERA)" (2021) [SEE CH. 5 IN HTTPS://WWW.IGI-
GLOBAL.COM/BOOK/SIMULATION-GAME-BASED-LEARNING-EMERGENCY/244340.] THIS
SESSION DESCRIBES THE USE OF A DECISION TREE AS A BASE FOR A SERIOUS GAME AND OFFERS
SOME IDEAS FOR AN AESTHETIC WRAP AROUND A POTENTIAL GAME. ALSO, THERE IS FOCUS
ON THE VARIOUS LEGAL AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IF SUCH A GAME WERE FULLY
CREATED AND DEPLOYED.
3

4. GAME INSPIRATION
4

5. INVISIBILITY OF BIO-RISK
• HAVE WORKED ON A NUMBER OF PUBLIC HEALTH PROJECTS AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER
• KNOW THAT IT IS HARD FOR PEOPLE TO BE AWARE OF THE INVISIBLE, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY
BE AWARE OF WHAT BEHAVIORS ARE NEEDED TO STAY HEALTHY (HANDWASHING AFTER
BATHROOM USE STUDIES, AS A CASE-IN-POINT)
• KNOW THAT CHANGING PEOPLE’S BEHAVIOR IS VERY DIFFICULT, REQUIRING STRATEGIC AND
TACTICAL MESSAGING, REINFORCEMENTS, STRUCTURAL ENCOURAGEMENTS (LIKE HAND
SANITIZER STATIONS NEARBY, SIGNAGE), MODELING, INDUCEMENTS, AND OTHER
INTERVENTIONS
• MAINTAINING BEHAVIOR CHANGE IS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT
• KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE INFORMED BY THEIR CONSCIOUS, SUBCONSCIOUS, AND
UNCONSCIOUS
5

6. INVISIBILITY OF BIO-RISK (CONT.)
• THE BIOLOGICAL IS A REALITY OVERSHADOWED BY THE SOCIAL AND THE PERSONAL.
• THE BIOLOGICAL IS EXPLAINED THROUGH SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED LENSES.
• INDIVIDUALS HAVE THEIR OWN WORLDVIEWS, THROUGH WHICH THEY UNDERSTAND THE NATURAL
AND THE BIOLOGICAL.
6

7. SENSE OF REAL-TIME URGENCY
• THIS IS THE BIG TIME, WITH AN ACTUAL PANDEMIC BASED ON HUMAN-TO-HUMAN AIRBORNE
TRANSMISSION OF A DEADLY NOVEL PATHOGENIC VIRUS AND A NAÏVE HUMANITY.
• HUMANS NEED TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY EVERY TIME IN EVERY CONTEXT NOW.
• THERE IS NO KNOWN CURE THROUGH 2019…2020…UNTIL EARLY 2021…
• THEN, PRACTICALLY, MANY WILL NOT HAVE ACCESS UNTIL MUCH LATER GIVEN THE ZERO-SUM
NATURE OF THE VACCINES AND THERAPEUTICS.
7

8. HEALTH ADVISEMENT FOR BIOSAFETY
IN THE SARS-COV-2 /
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
8

9. INITIALLY…WE JUST DON’T KNOW!
• HOW DANGEROUS IS CORONAVIRUS 2 -> SARS-COV-2?
• ARE SOME MORE AT RISK THAN OTHERS? WHY AND HOW?
• WHAT ARE SYMPTOMS OF INFECTION WITH SARS-COV-2?
• HOW DOES THE VIRUS TRANSMIT? HOW LONG IS AN INFECTED PERSON CONTAGIOUS?
• WHAT ARE RISK FACTORS FOR POSSIBLE INFECTION?
• HOW LONG CAN THE VIRUS HANG IN THE AIR AND STILL BE TRANSMISSIBLE?
• HOW EFFECTIVE IS FOMITE TRANSFER?
9

10. INITIALLY…WE JUST DON’T KNOW! (CONT.)
• HOW TRUSTWORTHY IS HEALTH DATA FROM OTHER COUNTRIES? HOW TRUSTWORTHY IS HEALTH
DATA FROM ONE’S OWN COUNTRY?
• HOW CAN ONE TEST FOR INFECTION?
• CAN A PERSON BE REINFECTED?
10

11. GENERAL ADVISEMENT
PRE-VACCINE
• SOCIAL DISTANCING
• PROTECTIVE BARRIERS (EFFECTIVE MASKING)
• AVOIDING FACIAL CONTAMINATION
• LIMITED SOCIAL EXPOSURES (SUCH AS TO GROUPS
INDOORS)
• BASIC HAND AND FACE HYGIENE
• MAINTAINING SOLID JUDGMENT
• STAYING UP WITH THE LATEST TRUSTWORTHY NEWS
POST-VACCINE
• TESTING REGULARLY, TESTING PRIOR TO
GATHERINGS, TESTING IF SYMPTOMS SHOW
• USING APPLIED LEARNING FROM A YEAR + OF
LEARNING (AND WARNINGS)
• AVOIDING HIGH RISK EXPOSURES
• MEASURING OXYGEN LEVELS
• ACCESSING PROFESSIONAL HEALTHCARE IF
SUSPECTING INFECTION
11

12. INTERLEAVING OF EFFECTS
General Scales Examples
Micro Individual, dyads, motifs, small groups,
Meso Organizations, businesses, sectors (travel
industry, and others)
Macro National level, transnational level, global
level
12

13. GENERAL MEDIA ADMONISHMENTS BEYOND
PRACTICAL BIOSAFETY ADVISEMENT
• FIRST, DO NO HARM
• PROTECT THE VULNERABLE (ELDERLY, THE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, AND OTHERS)
• NEED TO AVOID SEEDING OR PARTICIPATING IN “SUPER SPREADER” EVENTS
13

14. THE SOCIAL-POLITICAL OVERLAY
• WHO IS TRYING TO TAKE AWAY OUR INDIVIDUAL
FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS?
• WHY IS GOVERNMENT STEPPING INTO THE REALM
OF PRIVATE CHOICES?
• WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT CREATING A FALSE
THREAT IN ORDER TO TAKE OVER PEOPLE’S
PERSONAL LIVES?
• WHY ISN’T THE GOVERNMENT DOING MORE TO
GUIDE THE POPULATION?
• WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT SO HANDS-OFF?
• WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT SPENDING SO MUCH
FOR THOSE ABROAD AND NOT HERE AT HOME?
14

15. GENERAL
GAME
OBJECTIVES
15

16. GENERAL GAME OBJECTIVES
• GAME PLAYERS WILL…
1. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MOST UP-TO-DATE KNOWLEDGE OF SARS-COV-2
2. LEARN TO SEE THE INVISIBLE BIOHAZARDS IN THEIR DAILY LIVES
3. CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIORS AND MAKE SAFER BIOSAFETY CHOICES INDIVIDUALLY (AND SOCIALLY)
• THERE NEEDS TO BE CONTROL AGAINST NEGATIVE LEARNING OR MISAPPREHENSION OF FACTS
IN THE GAMEPLAY. THE ETHICS OF THE GAME THEN ARE DIFFICULT.
16

17. LEARNING OBJECTIVES,
LEARNING OUTCOMES
IN A SERIOUS GAME
17

18. LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR PLAYERS
• “LEARN AND REVIEW THE RISKS FOR SARS-COV-2 / COVID-19
• EXPLORE AND LIST RISK BEHAVIORS AND RISK MITIGATIONS
• ATTAIN AN INTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL IN TERMS OF PERSONAL BIOSAFETY RELATED TO
SARS-COV-2 / COVID-19
• FEEL CONFIDENT IN TERMS OF FACEMASK-WEARING, HAND HYGIENE, STAYING-AT-HOME, AND
OTHER ACTIONS IN THEIR LOCAL CONTEXT
• IDENTIFY WHERE TO ACCESS TRUSTED INFORMATION ABOUT THE PANDEMIC
• DESCRIBE REASONED CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN TO ACQUIRE A COVID-19 TEST
• DESCRIBE WHEN AND HOW TO ACCESS APPROPRIATE HEALTHCARE”
18

19. LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR PLAYERS
• “INCREASED AWARENESS OF RISK BEHAVIORS AND RISK MITIGATIONS
• AN INTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL AND INCREASED AGENCY IN DEALING WITH THE SARS-
COV-2 PANDEMIC
• AN EXPANDED AUTHORIZING ENVIRONMENT TO ENABLE FACEMASK-WEARING, HAND
HYGIENE, STAY-AT-HOME OPTIONS, AND OTHERS
• REGULAR ACCESS TO TRUSTED NEWS SOURCES TO UNDERSTAND THE PATHOGEN, ITS MODES
OF SPREAD, SAFETY HABITS, AND OTHER RELEVANT PANDEMIC INFORMATION
• SUFFICIENT AWARENESS TO KNOW WHEN TO ACQUIRE A COVID-19 TEST
• SUFFICIENT AWARENESS TO KNOW WHEN TO ACCESS APPROPRIATE HEALTHCARE AND HOW”
19

20. BUT AVOIDING DIDACTICS
• IT CAN BE TRAUMATIZING TO THINK OF ONE’S (AND OTHER’S) NON-EXISTENCE.
• IT CAN BE TRAUMATIZING TO THINK OF ONE’S (AND OTHER’S) SUFFERING.
• THE SENSE OF LOSS OF CONTROL CAN BE FRIGHTENING.
• FOCUSING ON FAKE RISK (FIGHTING DIGITAL MONSTERS) CAN BE SO MUCH MORE
ENTERTAINING.
• ONE CHALLENGE IS TO MAKE THIS GAME HEDONIC, FUN, WHILE ENGAGING REAL-WORLD
FACTS.
20

21. A DECISION TREE
AS A GAME UNDERSTRUCTURE
21

22. DECISION-RICH EVERYDAY SCENARIOS W/ MICRO
(AND MACRO) DECISIONS
• HOME
• WORK
• CLASSROOM
• GROCERY STORE
• GYM / TRACK
• TRAIN RIDE
• DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT
• DENTIST’S APPOINTMENT
• WEDDING
• FUNERAL
• EMERGENCY ROOM VISIT
• NEW ROMANCE
• EVICTION
22

23. DECISION-RICH EVERYDAY SCENARIOS W/ MICRO
(AND MACRO) DECISIONS (CONT.)
• HOME MOVE
• FRIEND VISIT
• HANDYPERSON VISIT
• JOB INTERVIEW
23

24. GENERAL SEQUENCE
• START WITH SOME WARMUP EXERCISES AND BASIC LEARNING.
• THERE IS A CUSTOMIZATION EXERCISE WITH THE PLAYER ENGAGING IN AN AUDIT OF THEIR PAST
HOME RESOURCES…AND THEIR ACTIVITIES OF THE PAST 14 DAYS.
• THEN, THERE IS THE MOVE TO GAMEPLAY.
• THE LEAD-UP ACTIVITIES TO NOT HAVE TO BE REPEATED EACH TIME.
• HAVE AN AUTOMATED DEBRIEFING AT THE END.
24

25. 25

26. 26

27. LUDIC ELEMENTS
27

28. HEDONIC AND LUDIC GAMEPLAY
• “SURPRISES FOR THE PLAYERS
• A VARIETY OF RELATABLE CONTEXTS
• (PLAYER) AGENCY IN THE GAMEPLAY
• SOLID FEEDBACK DURING THE GAMEPLAY
• PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF THE LEARNING IN THE REAL WORLD
• AESTHETIC PLEASURE IN THE DESIGN OF THE VIDEO, IMAGERY, AUDIO, AND INTEGRATED
MULTIMODAL ELEMENTS
• SUCCINCTNESS
• AN AI BOT (WITH NATURAL LANGUAGE CAPABILITIES) THAT SERVES AS A CONSULTANT TO THE
DECISIONS IN THE PLAY”
28

29. PLAYERS RETURN FOR…
• NEW SCENARIOS
• NEW STRATEGIES
• NEW INFORMATION
• NEW NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS (NPCS)
29

30. AN AESTHETIC GAME WRAP
30

31. VISUAL DESIGN AND ARTWORK
• VISUAL DESIGN TAILORED TO TARGET LEARNERS
• ATMOSPHERICS TO ENHANCE EXPERIENTIAL GAMEPLAY
• ARTWORK OF A PIECE (ACROSS MODALITIES: DRAWINGS, VIDEO, PHOTOS, DIAGRAMS, AND
OTHERS
31

32. GAME ACCESSIBILITY
32

33. ACCESSIBILITY INTERWOVEN
• CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS
• SUFFICIENT COLOR CONTRAST
• ADAPTATIONS FOR COLOR BLINDNESS
• COLOR NOT USED AS THE ONLY CHANNEL FOR
INFORMATION
• SUFFICIENT FONT SIZES (OR ABILITY TO
INCREASE/DECREASE)
• NO HIDDEN TEXT
• ALT TEXT FOR IMAGES
• CLEAR MULTIMODAL NARRATION
• KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS AVAILABLE FOR ALL
INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS
33

34. ACCESSIBILITY INTERWOVEN (CONT.)
• PACING CONTROLS
• PLAYABILITY, REPLAYABILITY
• PAUSE-ABILITY
• FULL DEGREES OF MOTION, DEGREES OF
FREEDOM, AGENCY
• NO PULSING LIGHT, STROBES
• SUPPORTS FOR MEMORY, LEARNING, ATTENTION,
LANGUAGE (TO MITIGATE COGNITIVE
CHALLENGES)
• CONTROL AGAINST TRIGGERS (FOR COGNITIVE
DISORDERS, NEURO-DIVERGENCE, TRAUMAS)
• PROPER ERROR HANDLING
• INCLUSIVENESS IN SOCIALITY IN THE PLAY
34

35. QUALITY ELEMENTS
35

36. ALPHA TESTING
• “INFORMATIONAL ACCURACY
• MESSAGING FIDELITY (CONTROLLING FOR
INFERENCES, CONTROLLING FOR NUANCES,
CONTROLLING AGAINST ASPERSIONS, CONTROLLING
AGAINST USER MISUNDERSTANDINGS, MANAGING
FINE PRINT)
• INFORMATIONAL UP-TO-DATEDNESS
• ACCESSIBILITY (MULTIPLE PERCEPTUAL CHANNELS)
• INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
• MEDIA LAW, PRIVACY PROTECTIONS”
36

37. BETA TESTING
• USER INTERFACE DESIGN
• PLAYER RECEPTIVITY TO GAME
• COMMUNICATIONS AND MESSAGING
37

38. DIFFICULT WRANGLINGS
38

39. DIFFICULT WRANGLINGS
WHILE PLAYING FOR OUR LIVES
• HOW DO YOU STRIVE FOR THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF BIOSAFETY IN THE SCENARIOS WHILE
ACCOUNTING FOR HUMAN INEXACTITUDE?
• HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN PLAY AND GROUND TRUTH? HOW DO YOU TRY TO ENSURE
DISCERNMENT IN PLAYERS WITHOUT RUINING THE FUN?
• HOW DO YOU HANDLE KNOWN UNKNOWNS? UNKNOWN UNKNOWNS?
• HOW DO YOU UPDATE KNOWN INFORMATION AS NEW INFORMATION COMES IN?
• HOW DO YOU ACCOMMODATE FOR INFECTIONS AND RECOVERIES INSTEAD OF JUST TRYING
TO AVOID INFECTION?
39

40. DIFFICULT WRANGLINGS
WHILE PLAYING FOR OUR LIVES (CONT.)
• HOW DO YOU HANDLE THE POLITICS AROUND THE PANDEMIC?
• HOW DO YOU HANDLE LIABILITIES IF THE GAME IS APPLIED AS A “TRAINING”?
• HOW DO YOU PROVIDE INFORMATION ALBEIT WITHOUT OFFERING ONLY ONE RIGHT PATH OR A
FEW RIGHT PATHS (GIVEN THE HIGH VARIANCE IN PEOPLE’S CIRCUMSTANCES AND HEALTH
SITUATIONS)?
• HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH A SERIOUS PATHOGEN WITHOUT “TRIGGERING” PLAYERS?
• HOW DO YOU PORTRAY NPCS WITHOUT FALLING INTO STEREOTYPING?
40

41. DIFFICULT WRANGLINGS
WHILE PLAYING FOR OUR LIVES (CONT.)
• HOW DO YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION DECISION MAKING IN DYADS? IN SMALL GROUPS?
IN SOCIAL CONTEXTS? (VS. EGO-LEVEL DECISION-MAKING IN A VACUUM)
• HOW DO YOU CHANGE UP THE GAME POST-VACCINE AND POST-THERAPEUTICS?
• HOW DO YOU MAKE THE GAME FACTUAL BUT *NOT* THE SOURCE OF RELEVANT INFORMATION
ON THE PATHOGEN? THE PANDEMIC?
• HOW DO YOU DEPICT THE EVOLVING AND MUTATING VIRUS?
41

42. QUESTIONS? IDEAS?
THIS CAN BE TREATED AS AN ACTUAL DESIGN…
OR IT CAN BE TREATED AS A THOUGHT EXPERIMENT…
42

43. AND EFFICACY? OR EVEN FUN?
• WOULD ANY OF THIS HAVE EVEN WORKED?
• WHAT CHANGES COULD HAVE BEEN MADE TO TRY TO MAKE THIS WORK?
• CAN A GAME LIKE THIS EVEN WORK, OR DOES THERE NEED TO BE SOME DISTANCE FROM THE
PANDEMIC FOR THIS TO BE FUN?
43

44. CONTACT
• DR. SHALIN HAI-JEW
• ITS
• KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
• SHALIN@KSU.EDU
• 785-532-5262
• INCISIVE REAL-TIME BIOSAFETY DECISION-MAKING UNDER
SOCIETAL REOPENING: AN EGO-LEVEL DECISION-TREE
UNDERSTRUCTURE FOR A SERIOUS GAME (IN THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC ERA)
44

45. AFTERTHOUGHT:
KNOWING NOW HOW
PEOPLE RESPOND IN A
PANDEMIC…
IN OUR CULTURAL MILIEU AND CONTEXT
HOW DO YOU AVOID TURNING PEOPLE
ON TO RISK-TAKING AND GAMES OF
CHANCE, WHICH PROVOKE SOME TO
HIGH-RISK BEHAVIORS AS THRILLS? HOW
DO YOU AVOID GAMIFYING A
PANDEMIC?
45