A Serious Game for EVAcuation Training

• Type: Article in International Conference Proceedings Book
• Date: 2013

Authors

Silva, JF (Author) Other; Almeida, JE (Author) Other; Rosaldo J. F. Rossetti (Author) FEUP; Coelho, AL (Author) Other

Conference proceedings International

Title: 2013 IEEE 2ND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SERIOUS GAMES AND APPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH (SEGAH)

Pages: 1-6

IEEE 2nd International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health (SeGAH)

Braga, PORTUGAL, MAY 02-03, 2013

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 16 Citations

Scopus - 45 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-009-4PR

DOI: 10.1109/SeGAH.2013.6665302

Abstract (EN): Serious Games are increasingly used as a training and educational tool. Fire keeps claiming a high number of victims. Some authors allege failures during the evacuation process as the main cause that contributes for that number. Fire drills are used to train buildings' occupants for emergency situations. However, fire drills' participants often have prior knowledge of their schedule and as result they are not as focused as they should. Moreover, fire drills require the mobilization of some resources, leading to financial costs. Performing a fire drill will always affect the normal functioning of the place where they take place; for this reason, sometimes they are not performed at all. In some special locations, like hospitals, fire drills are unsuitable. Emergency planning is crucial to prevent and minimize damage and victims. Albeit the improvement on safety measures, many occupants and employers in this type of buildings still lack adequate knowledge and training on how to behave in such hazardous situations. EVA is presented as a possible solution, which is based on the concept of Serious Game that can be used as a training tool for health care professionals. A preliminary prototype was developed. A sample of 20 subjects was selected to test it giving promising results. Results also showed that users who had training in fire prevention appear to perform better in the course. Moreover, participants who regularly play computer games overcame easily the game challenges. Further research and development are still to be explored, which are discussed in the concluding part of this paper.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6