International educational program for developing Health Games, lessons learned. A student program for developing health games in developing countries (South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Kenya). Presentation at IIT conference in Vilnius 2013

1. GameOn!: international educational program for
developing Health Games, lessons learned
Harro Leupen, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen, the Netherlands

2. Introduction
Harro Leupen,
o Coordinator & Lecturer: Game On!, Game Innovation.
o Co-developer major Game Design & Development
o Member expert group of the international major Game Design
& Development (starting September 2014)
o School of Communication, Media & IT
o Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, the
Netherlands.
14-11-2013

3. What is my talk about?
Game On: the student program
Projects: development of games addressing health and social issues in
developing countries.
Lessons learned
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4. Game On, the program
A third year, elective program (30ECTS)
The goal:
to develop a serious game that aims to change behaviour.
The setup:
Multi cultural and multi disciplinary teams, that combine expertise from
didactic and game production backgrounds, produce an educational
game for an international learning environment.
The context:
o
o
o
o
o
An international assignment and international client
Developing countries
20 weeks of production time
Experts: domain and game design & production
Virtual collaboration
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5. Stakeholders
George Onyango, HelpHeal Organization, Community Based
Organization, Kisumu, Kenya
Nataly Martini, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health
Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand (Card Game, Malaria)
Rob Willems, School of Communication, Media & IT Hanze University of
Applied Sciences, Groningen, The Netherlands
William Novak, School of Media, Culture & Design, Burbank, CA Chair,
Game Art & Design Department, The United States.
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6. A closer look at the program
Theory:
o psychology & developing game concepts
o cultural differences and sensitivities
o programming/scripting in Flash, Assets
o kaleidoscope (meet and discuss with experts from a domain, e.g. malaria,
game design, )
o researching effectiveness
Design & Production:
o Orientation/Blueprint/Design phase: research target audience, game
concept -> Game Design Document
o Preparation/production/finalization: programming, artwork, playtest
prototypes -> final game.
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7. A closer look: Design & Production
Keywords: field experts, end-users, game experts, game solution.
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8. A closer look: Design & Production
Client : assignment
Keywords: experts, focus group, psychology, cultural sensitivity.
Game expertise
Courses:
Game
concept
Kaleidoscope
Programming
Research
Field expertise:
domain
Courses:
Focus
Groups
Assignment/target
University group/end-user
Woodbury
Psychology
Cultural
sensitivity,
Kaleidoscope
Focus
Groups:
Educational
Institute:
learning
principles
University of
Auckland:
Health &
medicine
14-11-2013

9. A closer look: Design & Production
Client : assignment
Keywords: game concept, paper prototype, agile development, beta testing,
finalization.
Game expertise
Game based
solution:
Design
Field expertise:
domain
Client/Assignment
14-11-2013
End-user/target
group
Game based
solution:
Production

10. A closer look: Design & Production
Client : assignment
Keywords: game concept, paper prototype, agile development, beta testing,
finalization.
Game expertise
Field expertise:
domain
Client/Assignment
14-11-2013
Feedback and
Test:
Game based
Game Concept
Paper prototype
solution:
Game
Design Blueprint
SCRUM based
production:
Game based
Sprints & testing
solution:
Production
End-user/target
group

11. Past projects: South Sudan
Client: War Child, a Dutch NGO for helping war affected children by using creative
therapy and social educational programs.
Assignment:
o Create awareness and acceptance about children with a disability among inschool children in South-Sudan.
o Create a learning experience in a “fun” way
Target Group
o South Sudanese Children
o Between the ages of 10-14 years
o Female and Male school going children,
not disabled.
14-11-2013

12. Past projects: South Sudan
Raise awareness and acceptance for disabled
children in South Sudan
Features:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Flash based PC- game, low system requirements
Point and click, adventure game
Story: help and build a community by solving quests
(+20, random generated).
The main character is helped by handicapped
children and is confronted with a handicap (e.g.
Illness/difficulty to walk).
Identifiable environment/character.
The use of role models in the game (e.g. Mother,
Elderly people)
Reward: in-game and real life (e.g. instructions to
make a real toy or game)
14-11-2013

13. Past projects: South Sudan
Testing:
o Paper prototype testing at a
primary school in The Netherlands
o Final game tested in South Sudan
o Questionnaires and interviews
carried out by War Child
employees
Results: low response rate, difficult to
interpret.
14-11-2013

14. Past projects: Sri Lanka
Client: War Child, a Dutch NGO for helping war affected
children by using creative therapy and social educational
programs.
Assignment:
o Introduce topics of gender relations and choices
around sexual behavior in Sri Lanka (part of War
Child’s Big Deal Program)
Target Group
o Sri Lanka: Tamil and Sinhalese.
o Between the ages of 16-20 years
o Two languages
14-11-2013

15. Past projects: Sri Lanka
Introduce topics of gender related behavior
Features:
o
o
o
o
Flash based PC- game, low system requirements
Point and click, adventure game, dialogue driven
Story: for the main character (first person) to
become a detective, he/she must solve cases
Cases relate to War Child’s Big Deal Gender
Module
14-11-2013

16. Past projects: Sri Lanka
Testing:
o paper prototype testing at a primary school in The Netherlands
o No testing of final games
o Shipped to Sri Lanka for playtest, difficult to establish exchange
of findings.
The Sudan game and the Sri Lanka game were targeting war
affected areas. Proper evaluation of the games was impossible.
14-11-2013

17. Past projects: Kisumu (Kenya)
Malaria is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Kenya and
it kills an estimated 34,000 children under five in Kenya every year. 77% of
Kenya’s population lives in areas where the disease is transmitted.
The disease is responsible for 30% of out-patient visits (requiring more than
eight million out-patient treatments at health facilities each year) and 15% of
all hospital admissions.
About 3.5 million children are at risk of infection and developing severe
malaria.
14-11-2013

18. Past projects: Kisumu (Kenya)
Client: HelpHeal Organization, CBO (community based organization)
Assignment:
To develop a computer game in the battle against malaria, for children
in primary schools (10 -15) in Kenya (Nyanza province).
The game (s) would be a success if children are;
o Able to tell signs of malaria clearly
o Identify malaria transmission methods
o Tell what times of the day mosquitoes bites occur
o State cheap and effective ways of preventing malaria
o The importance of going to the hospital and finishing drug doses
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19. Computer games in Kenya?
26-6-2013

20. The result: three games
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24. Playtest at 3 schools
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25. 14-11-2013

26. Results
Shared with the game production teams
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27. 26-6-2013

28. Current status
o Games shipped to HelpHeal
o Played at several schools
o Effectiveness (in relation to the learning
objectives) will be evaluated
o Keep evaluating
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29. Current Project: HIV/aids
o New project with HelpHeal (Kenya)
o Subject is HIV/AIDS
o Virtual collaboration in design and production with
JOOUST University and Woodbury University
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga
University of Science and
Technology (JOOUST)
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30. Lessons Learned
o The importance of a game development method that allows for regular
testing, feedback moments and changes.
o The importance of a user/player centred design: the context of playful
experiences, including the player and his personal elements contribute
to the game.
o Cultural awareness in game design and development: consider and
adapt to the values and beliefs of the target audience.
o Collaboration with local people/end-user in game development adds to
game acceptance.
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31. Lessons Learned
o A very positive attitude towards the use of computers in education in the
targeted areas: “When GameOn! came along; I was to second guess on
one thing now my kids wanted to engage in. (….) I was convicted of the
appropriateness of a computer based game tackling any disease; more
so malaria. (….) Nothing arouses primary interest of a Kenyan child
living on the fringes of Lake Victoria more than an opportunity to play a
computer game. It allows them the realization that computers are not
complex electronic gadgets that only adults have access to” (G.
Onyango, HelpHeal Organization).
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32. Participation of Kenyan students
Cavendish Wachera Mwangi
There is much I would like to learn from this whole project. Most
important how to program. This would enhance my skills and
enable me to be able to create other programs that would be of
help to the community. I also would like to become better in
teamwork which is a key component in building and implementing
of successful projects. In addition I would also like to learn how to
create a positive impact to the community around me and in the
end be proud of making an achievement.
Living in a community infected and affected by Hiv/Aids, watching
people die all because of this disease and knowing that I have a
chance to change all that and save the future generation by
designing games is an opportunity I can’t let pass me by. Thank
you for this great chance that you have offered to me.
14-11-2013

33. Participation of Kenyan students
Cavendish Wachera Mwangi
There is much I would like to learn from this whole project. Most
important how to program. This would enhance my skills and
enable me to be able to create other programs that would be of
help to the community. I also would like to become better in
teamwork which is a key component in building and implementing
of successful projects. In addition I would also like to learn how to
create a positive impact to the community around me and in the
end be proud of making an achievement.
Living in a community infected and affected by Hiv/Aids, watching
people die all because of this disease and knowing that I have a
chance to change all that and save the future generation by
designing games is an opportunity I can’t let pass me by. Thank
you for this great chance that you have offered to me.
14-11-2013

34. Participation of Kenyan students
Oliver Nyaswenta Nyagah
My motivation to join Game On is my interest in animation
(especially cartoons and playing games);and also the need to pass
important lessons and messages through the simplest and fun
way, which captures their attention, therefore reaching more
people, hence making the message more relevant. I would also
want to learn something new aside from what I am majoring in my
university studies. This prompted me to be very interested in the
project and would love to be part of it.
Also living in a community that is infected and affected by
HIV/AIDS, I have seen the impacts of the disease to the
community therefore I believe I will be in a good position also to be
a researcher to the team. Moreover that I would like to learn
programming and I am optimistic that being a team member in
Game On I will be able to achieve this ambition. I believe that
being part of a team I will be able to improve on my team work
which is a major component in any successful project.
14-11-2013

35. Participation of Kenyan students
Oliver Nyaswenta Nyagah
My motivation to join Game On is my interest in animation
(especially cartoons and playing games);and also the need to pass
important lessons and messages through the simplest and fun
way, which captures their attention, therefore reaching more
people, hence making the message more relevant. I would also
want to learn something new aside from what I am majoring in my
university studies. This prompted me to be very interested in the
project and would love to be part of it.
Also living in a community that is infected and affected by
HIV/AIDS, I have seen the impacts of the disease to the
community therefore I believe I will be in a good position also to be
a researcher to the team. Moreover that I would like to learn
programming and I am optimistic that being a team member in
Game On I will be able to achieve this ambition. I believe that
being part of a team I will be able to improve on my team work
which is a major component in any successful project.
14-11-2013

36. GameOn!…it has been
an exhilarating journey
(George Onyango, HelpHeal)
14-11-2013

37. Lecturers GameOn
o Eelco Braad, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen,
the Netherlands. (Game Design, Kaleidoscope)
o Manno Bult, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen,
the Netherlands (Flash Programming)
o Loes Damhof, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen,
the Netherlands (Cultural collaboration, dimensions, in game)
o Martijn Meutgeert, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen,
the Netherlands (Game Concept)
o Lieke Drukker, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen,
the Netherlands (Developmental and Learning Psychology)
o Rob Willems, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen,
the Netherlands (Research)
o Myself
14-11-2013

38. Harro Leupen
Hanze University of Applied
Sciences, Groningen,
the Netherlands
Email:
h.m.leupen@pl.hanze.nl