Games for Active Ageing, Wellbeing and Quality of Life: A Pilot Study
- Submitting institution
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Coventry University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- 21540568
- Type
- D - Journal article
- DOI
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10.1080/0144929X.2018.1485744
- Title of journal
- Behaviour and Information Technology
- Article number
- -
- First page
- 842
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 8
- ISSN
- 0144-929X
- Open access status
- Compliant
- Month of publication
- June
- Year of publication
- 2018
- URL
-
-
- Supplementary information
-
-
- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- Yes
- Number of additional authors
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3
- Research group(s)
-
-
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- This paper investigated game-based learning in terms of encouraging lifelong learning and demystifying ageing bias. The study significantly contributed to game design aspects as means to determine the elements that go beyond the metrics of usability, efficiency, and effectiveness. This article addressed the research question, “In what way does game-based learning affect active ageing?”. The research was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia and the 5-million-euro H2020 funded “Beaconing” project.
The research took place in Portugal, and the game platforms were designed in Portuguese. Sixty adult learners at four universities of ‘third age’ were randomly assigned to three groups: the experimental group, who tested firstly a game-based learning platform (GBLP) and then a computer-assisted platform (CAP); the comparison group, who tested first the CAP and then the GBLP; and a third control group that did not take part in the intervention. Participants were assessed on their health-related well-being and quality of life, using standardised rating scales before and after each experiment.
Findings revealed that there were differences between the group types and the perceptions of mental health and general health-related well-being. The findings extend current knowledge on the use of games for active ageing, wellbeing and quality of life by identifying the key factors that need to be considered when designing and assessing digital games that go beyond entertainment purposes. The findings highlight environment and mental health as psychosocial aspects that should be considered in game design for third age groups, whereas storytelling, context-aware challenges, game space, immediate feedback, role-playing and social engagement were relevant to other design-related aspects. This interdisciplinary research contributed to knowledge in different fields beyond games design: Gerontology, Psychology, Education and Social Work, and Marketing. This study was disseminated at a keynote presentation at Imperial College, London (2018) and the GAMEON conference.
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
- -