Abstract

Serious Gaming and Spatial Thinking - Emergency Response Case Study
Track: Disaster and Emergency Management
Authors: Alyssa Mathews, Emily Feeney

"Serious games" are non-entertaining games with a real-world application. Spatial thinking is the idea of using the properties of space to structure and solve problems. We have designed a "serious game" that can be used to develop spatial thinking skills for emergency response personal. Using an emergency response scenario in which toxic substances washed up on the shore of the local park from river flooding, our game is composed of a series of problems responders must solve using spatial thinking. For example, which areas are the most affected? Which GIS tools, such as buffer and clip, are best for problem solving? In designing this game we face several challenges. Such as determining game difficulty level, deciding which GIS tools are best for certain tasks and how to use them, the variability of different responses to one emergency as well as measuring spatial thinking.