November 24-25th 2016, in University of Oulu main campus, at TellUs Stage

by MD Guido Giunti

Registration by October 10th, 2016: minna.isomursu@oulu.fi

The desire for fullness of life and longevity is inherent within all of us. At this moment, the number of people who are over the age of 60 has doubled since the 1980s. Global population aging means that we are ever-closer to reaching our longevity goal, but this extended life has special challenges regarding its quality. Obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes...these and many other chronic conditions play a major role in how we live our lives. And yet... taking care and disease management is boring! We all want to be healthy but it's hard work and not very entertaining.

If only there were a way...

Games are awesome. You can get lost playing for hours and hours and still want more. Why can't we tap into that engagement and make healthcare more like a game? In a world where the entertainment industry handles budgets that could rival several countries’ GDP, it is clear that we hold enjoyment in high regard.

A myriad of stimuli fight each other for our attention and it is up to us to make our projects stand out. In this course, you'll learn the basics of gamification and engagement science, and how this powerful new design trend can be used to drive behaviors. This course teaches the design fundamentals of gamification and engagement - including game mechanics, dynamics, player types and key systems thinking.

By completing this course you'll understand

  • What gamification is and isn't
  • The science behind engagement and gamification
  • How gamification can transform experiences
  • What the different player types are and how to design for them
  • The state of the art in healthcare
  • How to tailor gamified interventions for healthcare scenarios

How to do the course

The course combines pre-assignments with two day contact learning. The contact learning days will be the 24th (from 12am to 6pm) and 25th (from 9am to 4pm) November, 2016. Before the course, you are asked to complete assignments. The estimated work amount is 2 ECTS (you will get a certificate).

Signing up for the course

Please sign up for the course by the 10th of October by sending an email to minna.isomursu@oulu.fi with a heading ”Gamification intensive course”, with your CV which will include description of your educational background and work experience, and a short motivation letter.

We take maximum of 20 students. The course is open for everybody, but if we get more than 20 applications, we will prioritize Master’s and PhD students.

About the teacher

Dr. Guido Giunti is a Medical Doctor and eHealth specialist experienced in Healthcare Innovation. Currently working as Medical Advisor and Research Fellow in Salumedia Tecnologías, Spain. Former Clinical Informatics Research fellow at the Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires with internationally distinguished projects. Staff writer for almost three years at iMedicalApps.com, the leading online publication in mHealth and medical apps for healthcare professionals. Speaker on multiple international conferences and seminars on healthcare IT; Internal Medicine teacher and visiting instructor at NuVu Studio, an innovative education institute related to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is currently working on his PhD on the use of persuasive technologies and gamification to promote healthy behaviors in patients with chronic conditions.