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Playful Experience in Health Literacy. Beyond Gamification and Serious Games

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Communication and Applied Technologies

Part of the book series: Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies ((SIST,volume 318))

Abstract

Health literacy has become a priority for the well-being of individuals and society. Despite the implementation of public policies aimed at its formalization in the educational structure, and the promotion of technological development and the digital ecosystem, the new generations have not been actively involved. The incorporation of playful elements has a dynamic effect on literacy processes, promoting the development of skills and competencies that influence learning. Through a systematic review (PRISMA-P) of the scientific literature on health literacy and its relationship with games, this article provides a specific and structured synthesis of the empirical studies published in the last 10 years, identifying contributions and patterns between multidisciplinary contributions, with a particular focus on the combination between gamification and serious games. We concluded that immersion in a playful experience favors the emotional and cognitive learning of the player. The simulated reality of serious games and the gamification of activities can help understand health information, generating direct benefits through risk reduction, adoption of healthy habits and lifestyles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, 010105, Cuenca, Ecuador

    Angel Torres-Toukoumidis, Diego Vintimilla-León, Andrea De-Santis & Juan Cárdenas-Tapia

  2. University of Tartu, 50090, Tartu, Estonia

    Mario Mäeots

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  1. Angel Torres-Toukoumidis
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  2. Diego Vintimilla-León
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  3. Andrea De-Santis
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  4. Juan Cárdenas-Tapia
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Correspondence to Angel Torres-Toukoumidis .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Paulo Carlos López-López

  2. Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia

    Daniel Barredo

  3. Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Cuenca, Ecuador

    Ángel Torres-Toukoumidis

  4. Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Cuenca, Ecuador

    Andrea De-Santis

  5. Universidad Militar de Nueva Granada, Bogotá, Colombia

    Óscar Avilés

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Torres-Toukoumidis, A., Vintimilla-León, D., De-Santis, A., Cárdenas-Tapia, J., Mäeots, M. (2023). Playful Experience in Health Literacy. Beyond Gamification and Serious Games. In: López-López, P.C., Barredo, D., Torres-Toukoumidis, Á., De-Santis, A., Avilés, Ó. (eds) Communication and Applied Technologies. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 318. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6347-6_46

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