Touching Triton, developed by HudsonAlpha
Institute for Biotechnology, was selected as a finalist in the 2015 Serious Games Showcase and Challenge in the Business Category.
HudsonAlpha, located in Huntsville, Alabama, is
a nonprofit institute dedicated to advancing genomics in medicine, agriculture,
education and commerce. To help prepare the biotech industry's future
workforce, HudsonAlpha's educational outreach team designs activities to engage
students and teachers.
Their latest effort, Touching Triton, is an online "Serious Game" developed with
assistance from NASA and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
In the game, students use modern genomic and
health information to help keep six crew members alive on their 20-year,
round-trip mission to Triton, a moon of Neptune. Players are challenged with
sorting through medical record, genomic and family history data to determine a
crew member’s risk for six common complex diseases.
Players can choose from six astronauts to study their risk
for common complex disease. Credits: HudsonAlpha
Whether a person develops a common complex
disease during his/her lifetime is a puzzle made up of many factors that interact together in a complicated manner. Medical
research is beginning to uncover some of these puzzle pieces while many remain
unknown. A person’s medical records, family history and genetic information can
provide important clues to a person’s risk for disease. .
Players must use the information presented
within the game to complete tasks associated with determining which risk
factors are present for common complex diseases for a crew member. As students
determine risk factors present, they are asked to determine risk level based on
that data.
The goal of the game is to make informed
decisions about items to pack on the ship that help mitigate risk or treat
disease (medical supplies, fitness equipment and more). Not all items can be
packed so players must use risk assessment to choose strategically. Students
packing items that reduce the risk of disease for the crew member appropriately,
are rewarded with a higher likelihood of all of the crew members return from
the 20-year mission alive and healthy.
Touching Triton encourages discussion about health and
long-term flight. Credits: HudsonAlpha
Designed for high school biology courses in
grades 9-10, including biology, Advanced Placement biology, genetics, anatomy
and physiology, Touching Triton
provides an opportunity for teachers and students to have an engaging
conversation and build understanding about the complex nature of common diseases.
The ability for students to work together on a mission in multiplayer mode
fosters rich discussion among the group where students must argue for and
against various packing options based on the evidence and risk assessment at
hand.
You can try this Serious Game yourself, by visiting
Triton.HudsonAlpha.org. Just click "play as a guest."