(366a) Gamification of Learning: Designing a Safety Assessment Card Game

‘Edutainment’, or educational entertainment has been around since the 1970’s, from the simplicity of solving a crossword puzzle on the back of a cereal box to the implementation of Virtual Reality in the subject of complex fluid mechanics. In a pedagogical environment, how do educators ensure that the information they are passing on is not lost in the midst of lengthy texts typically found in any academic subjects?

Although safety and safety assessments are key components of any Chemical Engineering degree, these topics are often overlooked by students, who typically find them tedious, uninteresting and intangible. We have designed an educational card game, '0 Days Since’, to teach students about the most common safety assessments used by chemical engineers in different industries. Historic industrial accidents are a core part of the game, highlighting the importance of safety assessments while adding a realistic dimension to the game. The objective of the game is to assemble a team of safety assessment experts and tackle industrial crises, ultimately preventing the safety sign to be reset to ‘0 days since the last incident’ (as the title suggests). While the topic is transversal to chemical engineering, this project directly supplements many undergraduate modules, serving as a refresher on safety assessments. This game was designed to be asymmetrical, balanced, competitive and enjoyable while being educational with no prior knowledge in engineering safety required. During a game, players are also exposed to other interesting non-engineering notions such as Tort law or a SEC spot-check, giving the players a glimpse of real-world events and activities that go beyond the typical core engineering concepts taught in classes.

From designing artwork to setting the rules, undergraduate and postgraduate students were involved along the way to ensure that the depths of the topic are right, while keeping the intrinsic motivations of the game. The artwork was individually crafted by two undergraduate students, taking in their own flair and creativity in interpreting each concept and card. This card game was funded by UCL Changemakers, which is part of UCL 2034’s long-term strategy for student-staff partnership, bridging the gap between teaching and learning. Additionally, we will explore more into the benefits of a student-staff partnership, provide key learnings on game design with a breakdown for each step, and tips and tricks for maintaining the sensitive balance between an educational and an entertaining card game.