Title: Epistemic video game for education in wildfire response: a pilot study

Authors: Jaime Caroca; Mario A. Bruno; Roberto G. Aldunate; Carlos U. Arancibia

Addresses: Faculty of Educational Science, University of Playa Ancha, Valparaiso, Chile ' Faculty of Engineering, Centre of Advanced Research, University of Playa Ancha, Valparaiso, Chile ' College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA ' Department of Anesthesiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA

Abstract: A priority for sustainable development is education in the reduction of the risk of a disaster. Disasters have a profound effect in societies and their economies. Undergraduate students are seldom trained to engage in authentic emergencies. Video game technology may provide an educational tool for promoting the acquisition of new knowledge. Epistemic video games are educational video games that facilitate the development of knowledge through simulated scenarios relevant to the professional practice. This article presents the design and evaluation of an epistemic video game developed to simulate the emergency management of a disaster scenario (wildfires). The learning outcomes are analysed regarding cognitive processes. The results of this pilot study would indicate that this video game technology could have a significant role in the education of undergraduate students in disaster risk management.

Keywords: game-based learning; epistemic video games; e-learning; simulated scenarios; learning outcomes; cognitive processes; pilot study; disaster risk reduction; emergency management; wildfire response.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTEL.2019.100481

International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 2019 Vol.11 No.3, pp.247 - 258

Received: 14 Mar 2018
Accepted: 15 May 2018
Published online: 29 Jun 2019 *

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