EDCI 556

Design Documents

Immunology

EDCI 556: Educational Videogame Design

Subject: Immunology
Title: The Immunology Game
Developers: Haley,B., Korich,M., Johns,G.

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Immunology

Table of Contents

1.00.00: Introduction/Overview
2.00.00: Target Audience and Implementation Context
3.00.00: Learning Objectives
4.00.00: Hooks
5.00.00: Story Overview
o 5.00.01: Boardgame
o 5.00.02: PowerPoint
o 5.00.03: Unity
6.00.00: Game Mechanics
o 6.01.00: Interactions
6.01.01: Boardgame
6.01.02: PowerPoint
6.01.03: Unity
o 6.02.00: End Game Condition
6.02.01: Boardgame and Unity
6.02.01: PowerPoint
7.00.00: Game Elements
o 7.01.00: Characters
o 7.02.00: Items
o 7.03.00: Mechanisms
7.03.01: Tracking Variables
7.03.02: Randomized Interactions
8.00.00: Game Progression
9.00.00: Implementation Artifacts and Guidelines
o 9.01.00: In Game Assets
o 9.02.00: Supplementary Curricula
10.00.00: The Game Minute
o 10.00.01: Boardgame and Unity
o 10.00.02: PowerPoint
11.00.00: Technical Design Document
12.00.00: Bibliography

For quick reference, content is organized by section, subsection, and prototype specific sections
(i.e. ## :## :##).

1.00.00: Introduction/Overview

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The use of educational games is becoming more popular in educational settings.

Using games to help introduce complex topics, such as immunology, have been
done before with great success (Cheng, Huang, & Chen, 2013). This success
could be due in part to the students learning from multiple resources: lecture,
game, and cohorts, instead of only traditional lecture (Debard, Kraehenbuhl, &
Fuchs, 2005). Success could also come from engaging the students in problem
solving activities, which allows students to validate their knowledge (OrtegaRivas, Saorn, Torre, & Elsheikha, 2013). The immunology game designed below
allows students to utilize both aspects.
2.00.00: Target Audience and Implementation Context
The proposed audience for this game are introductory students in immunology.
This audience most commonly includes late high school students, 16-19, and
early undergraduate, 18-20. Individuals in courses with immunology sections
have most typically elected to enroll rather than being required. Also,
immunology sections tend to be brief while requiring learners to fully understand
the basic concepts of the area. This game could be implemented in either in a
flipped classroom or a traditional classroom in the introduction to the section. The
game could be played without lecture first or a simple introduction. Students
could play the game as a homework assignment or within the class setting so long
as computers are available for each student. Game play should be followed with
discussion or reflection activities where the students are required to describe their
interactions within the game and the implications for what this means in human
immunology.
3.00.00: Learning Objectives

Players will be able to give examples of pathogen entry points to the body by
describing plausible fomites that were not part of the game.
Players will be able to describe a simple outline of the bodys reaction to infection
based on key elements found in the game.
Players will be able to describe the increase in immune response based on
consequences experienced after making decisions during game play.
Players will be able to give a description of the interconnectedness of the immune
system based on consequences of decisions during game play.
Players will be able to identify within a list the immune system components
covered within the game.
Players will be able to define the roles of the immune system components covered
within the game.

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Player will be able to explain possible reasons why vaccination is necessary given
the degree of difficulty of succeeding in the game.

4.00.00: Hooks
The game represents an interactive introduction to the immune system that serves
as a supplementary alternative to lecture and reading. The game play is from the
perspective of the virus allowing for player choice in interacting with and learning
about the immune system.
5.00.00: Story Overview
Gameplay revolves around a virus infecting the body and interacting with the
immune system. The virus and immune system are not explicitly
anthropomorphized, what is observed is the natural process of the interaction of
the virus and the immune system.
5.00.01: Boardgame Prototype
An endgame win or fail condition is reached based on the spread of the virus, as
tracked by the board game dice.
5.00.02: PowerPoint Prototype
An endgame condition is manually selected by the player when they feel they
have learned enough to answer a series of questions
5.00.03: Unity Prototype
An endgame win or fail condition is reached based on the spread of the virus, as
tracked by the unity software. Both conditions included a series of questions
before the game resets.
6.00.00: Game Mechanics
6.01.00: Interactions:
A viral particle will interact with different aspects of the immune system. Viral
particle interacts with:
an object which it can infect, thus increasing the viral particle count.
an object which destroys it and increases the immune response.
an object which detects it and increases the immune response.
an object which does not affect the particle, nor does the encounter effect the
immune response.

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Immunology

Each interaction will contain one or more outcomes. For example, when a viral
particle encounters a macrophage there will be opportunity for:
the macrophage to destroy the viral particle
the viral particle to infect the macrophage
the viral particle and macrophage to miss coming into contact with each other
6.01.01: Interactions in the Boardgame Prototype:
In this version of the game a set probability is assigned to each possible
interaction, and the outcomes are determined by chance via a dice roll.
6.01.02: Interactions in the PowerPoint Prototype:
In this version of the game, mobile semi-randomized hyperlinks are used to
simulate possible interactions. These hyperlinks are grouped with a moving object
(e.g. an image of the macrophage), making it difficult to click the hyperlink
associated with a desired outcome and giving the player a level of interactivity
with the immune system
6.01.03: Interactions in the Unity Prototype:
With the game engine the player can be given direct control over the movement of
the virus in a scene. In this case outcomes of interactions is based on how well
the player can avoid the parts of the immune system (macrophages, monocytes,
etc).
6.02.00: End Game Condition
6.02.01: End Game Condition in Boardgame and Unity Prototype:
Approaching the win or lose condition of the game is moderated by two variables:
the viral particle count and the bodys immune response. The viral count must
exceed a set threshold to allow the virus to spread and infect another person. The
bodys immune response both depletes the viral count and, once it reaches a set
threshold will automatically end the game, symbolizing the infected person going
to the hospital to get treatment.
The increase of the viral count and immune response is dictated by the players
interaction with the immune system. In the game scenes that represent interactions
the virus (i.e. an individual viral particle) can be detected, destroyed or have no
interaction, depending on what aspect of the immune system the player
encounters. Being detected or destroyed increases the bodys immune response.

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Having no interaction allows the viral count to increase without a corresponding

increase in the immune response.
In other words, the number of turns and the outcomes of interactions push the
game to its end condition.
The Unity prototype implements a set of in game questions as part of both the win
and lose conditions.
6.02.02: End Game Condition in PowerPoint Prototype:
In PowerPoint, tracking variables based on items clicked or slides viewed is
possible but requires programming in VAB and activation of Macros.
In this prototype does not track the variables of the viral particle count or the
bodys immune response. In other words it does not track the spread of the disease
and the number of interactions that occur during game play do not automatically
push the game to its end condition. Instead after each interaction the player has
the option to jump to the end game screen, where they are asked if they think they
know enough about the immune system. They can attempt to answer a series of
questions or return to the main game play.
7.00.00: Game Elements (characters, items, and objects/mechanisms)
7.01.00: Characters:
This game represents a simulation of a viruss interaction with the immune
system. As such there are no fleshed out characters. Instead there are individual
actors that represent the interaction between the viral infection and the immune
system.
Unseen Patient: For the first interaction in the game the player chooses a fomite to
infect the patient. Once the immune response has reached a certain level, the
patient goes to the hospital, ending the game.
Viral Particle: The player controls the interactions between the individual parts of
the immune system and individual viral particles.
Macrophage: A part of the immune system that looks for virus to engulf. It can
clear an entire population of virus from a location.

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Monocyte: A part of the immune system that increases the level of the immune
response when it encounters a viral particle. It increases the immune response by
releasing cytokines.
Cytokines: A part of the immune system that increases the level of the immune
response. It interacts with monocytes, causing them to release additional
cytokines. It interacts with macrophage, directing the macrophage to the source
of cytokine release. (i.e. the macrophage is directed towards the location of the
viral particles.)
Antibody: A part of the immune system that is attached to monocytes and
macrophages. It allows the detection of antigens.
Antigen: Discarded waste from when a macrophage destroys a viral particle. It
lingers in the bloodstream, where it can be detected by other monocytes or
macrophages, alerting them to the presence of the virus.
7.02.00: Items:
Fomite: Any object that carries the virus to/from the body to infect. The unseen
patient is infected by a fomite during the first interaction in the game.
7.03.00: Mechanisms:
7.03.01: Tracking Variables:
Viral Particle Count: A numerical value, tracked within the game. The value
increases the longer the infection lasts, but also decreases as the immune response
increases. If the viral particle count reaches 0 the game end. If the viral particle
count exceeds a set threshold the gameplay enters the endgame.
Immune Response: A numerical value, tracked within the game. The value begins
to increase once virus is detected. The value increases the longer the infection last,
but also greatly increases when a virus has a bad interaction with the immune
system. If the immune response reaches a set value the gameplay enters the
endgame.
These tracking variables are not a part of the PowerPoint Prototype.
7.03.02: Randomized Interactions:
Please refer to details under section 6.01.00

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Immunology
Information
Scene

8.00.00: Game Progression: (Full Implementation)

Phase1: Initialize
Game

Phase 2: Enters Body

Introductory Scene

Fomite Scene: Players

interaction with the
outside world.

Player chooses an
interaction with
the Macrophage

Player actively
controls
interaction with
macrophage.

Instruction Menu

Player is taken to the fomite selection

screen and chooses a fomite.

Players choice determines an entry

point into the body. This is shown in a
screen depicting the human body

Phase 3: Navigate
Interaction Scene:
Players first
interaction with a
Macrophage.

Title Screen

Player chooses
destination in the
body.

Player
chooses a
destination.

Player interacts with

immune system

Viral particles and Cytokine

Increase: If either exceeds
threshold proceed to endgame.*

Player actively
controls
interaction with
immune system.

Player chooses an
interaction with
immune system.

Phase 4: Endgame
Win

Lose

*In the PowerPoint prototype the

Number of viral
Number of viral
player may move to the endgame
particles does not
particles exceeds a
questions at any time.
exceed a minimum
minimum necessary for
necessary for infection
infection to occur AND
In this case they win if they can
to occur OR the
the Player successfully
9.00.00:
Implementation
Artifacts
and
Guidelines
(organized
by
implementation
situation)
answers
the questions
immune response
answers a set of
brings this number to
questions.

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Immunology

9.01.00: In Game Assets:

Individual images are included in a Game Assets folder. For the purpose the
phrase immune system will refer to any of the following characters: Monocyte,
Macrophage, Cytokines, Fomite, Antibody and Antigen.
Introduction Scene:
Background: Image of a sneeze. (File: Background_SneezeIntro)
Characters: NA
Informational Scene:
Background: None
Characters: Scene will include all parts of the immune system and viral particle.

Fomite Selections Scene:

Background: Image of an office. (File: Background_Fomite)
Characters: NA
Human Body Destination Scene:
Background: Image of the human body. (File: Background_Body)
Characters: NA
Interaction Scene:
Background: Image of a blood vessel. (File: Background_BloodVessel)
Foreground: Red blood cells that serve as Platforms. (File: Foreground_RedCell)
Characters: Scenes may include any of the parts of the immune system.
9.02.00: Supplemental Curricula
A selection of open response questions built around the stated learning objectives
is included in the supplemental materials. These are envisioned as a postassessment to the game however in some cases the questions are modified to
multiple choice and implemented directly into the end of the game.
10.00.00: The Game Minute
10.00.01: Game Minute in Boardgame and Unity Prototype:
Player interacts with the immune system and experiences the consequences of
those interactions. Depending on the outcome of the interaction the player is
moved to a new place in the body to infect further organs or alerts the immune

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Immunology

system to begin fighting back. All interactions push the game towards the
endgame condition.
10.00.02: Game Minute in PowerPoint Unity Prototype:
Player interacts with the immune system and experiences the consequences of
those interactions. As the player experience more interactions they may choose to
manually initiate the endgame condition if they feel they have learned enough to
answer questions about the immune system.
11.00.00: Technical Design Document:
The relevant prototypes are compatible with the Unity Web Player and Microsoft
Powerpoint respectively. There are no system requirements.
12.00.00: Bibliography:
Cheng, M., Su, T., Huang, W., & Chen, J. (2013). An educational game for learning
human immunology: What do students learn and how do they perceive? British
Journal of Educational Technology, 45(5), 820-833.
Debard, N., Py, P., Kraehenbuhl, J., & Fuchs, J. (2005). Science and Society: The
influence of the Internet on immunology education. Nature Reviews Immunology,
5, 736-740.
Ortega-Rivas, A., Saorn, J., Torre, J., & Elsheikha, H. (2013). Touch-pad mobile devices
for blended learning in immunology practicals. Medical Education, 47(5), 518519.