Session Coordinator: Takudzwa Mukamba

Game-based learning has created a paradigm shift in pedagogical approaches to medical and health science education. In such a rapidly transforming educational landscape, fostering meaningful student engagement and effective learning experiences is paramount. Having witnessed the significant educational impact and exceptionally welcoming responses from students in a narrative card and board game designed for jaundice known as "Livogena: The Ikteros Curse", the rationale behind this focus session lies in empowering medical and health science educators about the transformative potential of narrative games and the process of designing such powerful tools to engage students in active discovery such that they are intrinsically motivated and involved in the process of learning. Thus, by immersing students in an interactive storytelling game that is coupled with evidence-informed pedagogy, educators can offer a unique and dynamic learning environment beyond the concrete reality of a classroom.

By the end of this focus session, the participants will be able to

i) Understand how Narrative Educational Games engage the players in active discovery and immersive learning

ii) Understand the evidence-informed benefits and challenges of a practically implemented narrative game for medical students through educators’ and learners’ experiences

iii) Gain insights into the process of designing and implementing narrative games for health science students

iv) Develop a step-by-step plan for designing and implementing narrative games in Health Science Education