Are serious video games something more than a game? A review on the effectiveness of serious games to facilitate intergenerational learning

Abstract

Aging diversity in organizations creates potential challenges, particularly for knowledge management, skills update and skills obsolescence. Intergenerational learning (IGL) involves knowledge building, innovation and knowledge transfer between generations within an organization (Ropes 2011). Serious games refer to the use of computer games in raising awareness about educational topics, acquiring new knowledge and skills by enabling learners to engage and participate in situations that would otherwise be impossible to experience (Corti 2006). Although learning with the use of serious games is similar to traditional learning in several cognitive respects, there are noted differences in the learning style and structure of learning using serious games. The success of learning using serious games lies in the actual involvement of a participant playing the game, which in turn, creates increased cognitive links with real-life situations allowing the individual to make relevant associations, to use mnemonic strategies with the facilitation of multi-dimensional educational aids (e.g., visual, auditory). Some of the beneficial aspects of learning with the use of serious games include the elevation of several cognitive skills, which are directly or indirectly implicated in the learning process. Among them are attention and visuo-spatial abilities, memory and motor skills. However, several barriers have been noted that fall into two general categories: a) health issues (e.g., cognitive strain, headaches) and b) psychological issues (e.g., social isolation, emotional disturbances). Since the training

Being (Grand) Players: Review of Digital Games and their Potential to Enhance Intergenerational Interactions

“…These results corroborate the recommendations initially proposed by Chiong (2009) and Ypsilanti et al (2014). Examples of intergenerational digital games that have drawn upon these recommendations were also presented.…”

“…Age Invaders -Stimulate the cognition of both generations -Contribute to individual well-being by encouraging pro-social behaviours and sharing knowledge/experiences (Al Mahmud et al, 2010;Barendregt, 2012;Davis et al, 2012;Follmer et al, 2010;Fuchsberger et al, 2012;Khoo et al, 2008;Kurniawan, 2008;Nagai et al, 2014;Othlinghaus et al, 2011;Räisänen, et al, 2014;Rice, Tan, Ong, Yau, Wan, & Ng, 2013;Siyahhan et al 2010;Voida & Greenberg, 2009Ypsilanti, et al, 2014;Vetere, Davis, Gibbs, & Howard, 2009) (Continued ) Mahmud et al, 2010;Costa & Veloso, 2014;Follmer et al, 2010;Khoo, 2011;Khoo & Cheok, 2009;Khoo et al, 2008Khoo et al, , 2007…”

Situated learning through intergenerational play between older adults and undergraduates

“…Zhang and Kaufman's (2016a) review study identified 11 digital games developed to facilitate intergenerational interaction and learning, such as Distributed Hide-and-Seek (Vetere, Nolan, & Raman, 2006), Curball (Kern, Stringer, Fitzpatrick, & Schmidt, 2006), TranseCare (Derboven, Van Gils, & De Grooff, 2011), Age Invaders (Khoo, Cheok, Nguyen, & Pan, 2008), etc. Digital games can transcend the dimensions of time, space, and close personal relationships and allow players to practice intergenerational skills in a safe environment (Ypsilanti et al, 2014). In addition, there are tremendous empirical findings showing that playing digital games can improve older adults' physical and cognitive function (Zhang & Kaufman, 2016b) and enhance the quality of their socio-emotional life (Schell, Hausknecht, Zhang, & Kaufman, 2016;.…”

Effectiveness of the serious game ‘You & I’ in changing mentalizing abilities of adults with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities: A parallel superiority randomized controlled trial

“…Serious games require few costs to deploy on a large scale, making these potentially cost-effective even at low levels of effectiveness. The threshold is low as it is home-based and requires only the use of a computer and Internet access [35,54], leading to increased accessibility over face-to-face interventions such as mentalizationbased therapy. If this study shows that the serious game has a positive effect on the abilities of the participants, serious games have the potential to become a standard service in healthcare for persons with MBID.…”