1. CampusCraftUsing Serious Health Games to Engage College Students

2. What is CampusCraft?
A serious health game targeting college students, especially freshmen.
Currently, CampusCraft is in the prototype stage.
Its funded by a Phase I - Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Currently pursuing a Phase II award.
3. Background
Students are new health care consumers.No longer rely on Mom or Dad to take them to the doctor.
Students enjoy independence from eating their veggies, bed times, and the rules of home.
College represents both a challenge and opportunity to reach students on issues surrounding their health.
Games offer an effective platform to introduce health issues to students within the context of college life, make them relevant to them as individuals, and encourage a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
4. Tour of CampusCraft
5. Primary Learning Objectives
Players develop an understanding of
their health risks (i.e., personal, family, social, environmental, etc.);
how behaviors & lifestyle impact their health;
resources & strategies available to help them; and
how to apply or use these skills, resources and/or tools to thrive while in college and beyond.
6. Health Issues Addressed
Initial emphasis on sexual health and the influence of alcohol when negotiating
sexual consent
condom use.
Additional health issues addressed in later stages, such as:
Diet
Exercise
Stress management
Drug Use
Body image
Sleep
Etc
7. Personalized Game Play
Player will select or identify:
Name
Gender
Physical characteristics (i.e., height, weight, etc.)
Health status &/or family health history
Academic ambitions
Social ambitions
Etc
8. Game Play
Quest-based game
Players are given quests, such as solving a mystery.
Players will
explore the campus,
develop friendships,
interact with other students
obtain information
discover clues to solve the mystery.
Players will navigate delicate social or personal situations to get the information they need to solve the crime.
9. Examples of Learning Situations
Players make choices & decisions throughout game based on prior knowledge and that gained from game play.
Situations range from the more learning-based, such as
Conversations prior to going out with friends.
Screenshot: Britten shows the player a condom compact she uses to discreetly carry condoms when going out.
10. Learning Situations Cont
to the quest-based
Navigate social situations, such as going to parties.
Feel free to play beer pong, but dont let it get out of hand.You still have a job to do.
Situations will offer mini-games to play for learning & fun, such as how to play beer pong without getting drunk.Otherwise, you may have trouble playing for awhile.
11. Performance & Achievements
Learn to maintain balance between mental, physical, and social wellness while going about every day life.
Decisions made throughout the game influence these meters.
Conversation choices contribute toward not only knowledge, but your personality as well.
Some players may have a harder time achieving balance than others.
12. Conclusion
Phase II will seek to build on the prototype to:
Offer richer, more subtle, and more diverse storylines.
Offer focused, smaller scale missions to build up your experienceand develop specific skills.The more experience & skill you possess, the more effective you are in solving mysteries.
Choice of working alone or recruiting a team to complete assignments investigating mysteries occurring on campus.
Manage your team of talented students by keeping them happy, healthy, & in school. The better you manage your team, the more effective your team is in solving mysteries.
13. Thank you!
Contact Information:
Pete Grogg, MHA
pgrogg@wisdomtools.com