uMed SERIOUSE MORAL GAME

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Further development of the Serious Moral Game «uMed»: How can both the gaming experience and the didactic effectiveness of «uMed» be improved?

Abstract

As part of the Digital Health Design Living Lab (DHD LL) of the University of Zurich and Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), an interdisciplinary team was formed during the 2024 Healthathon («Health Companions of Tomorrow: Co-Creating Interactions between Human and Technology»). The team consists of Tamara Aepli (background in scientific and medical illustration), Henrik Lebender (industrial designer), Anita Thomae (Head of Teaching, UZH), and me.

Task

The serious moral game «uMed: Your Choice» is a digital learning tool that supports ethics education in medicine. Since 2018, it has enriched the teaching of medical ethics at the University of Zurich. The game’s ethical and didactic value lies in its combination of individual self-study (i.e., playing the game independently) and collective discussion of the experience and the questions it raises. As a complex educational tool, uMed integrates didactic, content-based, and design-related goals across multiple levels. This opens up a wide range of possibilities for adaptation and improvement based on practical use. As part of the challenge, we aim to identify potential approaches for further development of uMed that focus both on the user perspective and on the didactic implementation of key learning objectives.

Screenshot from a scene in the game

Mentoring

The project is mentored by Dr. Tobias Eichinger, Research Associate and Teaching Coordinator at the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, and Prof. Dr. Anna Lisa Martin-Niedecken, Deputy Head of the Department of Design, Zurich University of the Arts.

Procedure

Together, we are examining the serious game uMed to identify areas for improvement. With the goal of enhancing the long-term learning effect and strengthening students› capacity for self-reflection, we are conducting classroom observations and student surveys, complemented by two focus group discussions with teaching staff. Based on our research findings, we will develop recommendations and test a selection of ideas in a co-creative workshop with students and instructors, using prototypes.

Facts & Figures

  • Project duration: 6 Months
  • Budget: CHF 10’000.-
Current project status