Dungeons and Diabetes: co-design of an educational game to promote diabetes awareness
Resumo
Given the challenges related to a lack of knowledge about diabetes and low adherence to self-care practices, this work presents the initial proposal for the educational game Dungeons and Diabetes. Its development followed an educational game design process involving reviewing existing research and identifying learning gaps. We created the game in co-design with a student in computer science who has diabetes, and it aims to raise awareness through playful challenges that encourage reflection on daily care routines. The proposal incorporates principles from Multimedia Learning and Narrative Learning theories, resulting in a 2D proof of concept with mechanics and elements aligned with educational goals in the health context.Referências
Bruner, J. (1990). Acts of meaning: Four lectures on mind and culture, volume 3. Harvard university press.
Bujanda, A. and Bujanda, E. (2022). Diabescape: An innovative educational project on diabetes. Endocrinología, Diabetes y Nutrición (English ed.), 69(6):392–400.
Candido, T. F. N., de Souza Simões, D. V. S., and de Carvalho Ishiuchi, G. G. (2024). Prevenção do diabetes mellitus tipo 2 no sistema único de saúde brasileiro: uma breve análise entre campanhas de conscientização e programas de rastreamento de pacientes. OBSERVATÓRIO DE LA ECONOMÍA LATINOAMERICANA, 22(11):e7815–e7815.
CDC (2024). National diabetes statistics report, 2024. Accessed: 2025-06-08.
Cheng, M.-T., Chen, J.-H., Chu, S.-J., and Chen, S.-Y. (2015). The use of serious games in science education: a review of selected empirical research from 2002 to 2013. Journal of computers in education, 2:353–375.
Clark, M. C. (2010). Narrative learning: Its contours and its possibilities. New Directions For Adult & Continuing Education, 2010(126).
Clark, M. C. and Rossiter, M. (2008). Narrative learning in adulthood. New directions for adult and continuing education, 2008(119):61–70.
Egan, A. M. and Dinneen, S. F. (2022). What is diabetes? Medicine, 50(10):615–618.
Federation, I. D. (2025). Idf diabetes atlas 11th edition. [link]. 537 million adults with diabetes in 2021; projected 852.5 million by 2050.
Fisher, W. R. (1984). Narration as a human communication paradigm: The case of public moral argument. Communications Monographs, 51(1):1–22.
Gui, Y., Cai, Z., Yang, Y., Kong, L., Fan, X., and Tai, R. H. (2023). Effectiveness of digital educational game and game design in stem learning: a meta-analytic review. International Journal of STEM Education, 10(1):36.
Gurbuz, S. C. and Celik, M. (2022). Serious games in future skills development: A systematic review of the design approaches. Computer Applications in Engineering Education, 30(5):1591–1612.
Jimmy, B. and Jose, J. (2011). Patient medication adherence: measures in daily practice. Oman medical journal, 26(3):155.
Jullien, M. d. O. (2013). Candy castle: um jogo sério para pacientes com diabetes.
Ling, C., Seetharaman, S., and Mirza, L. (2022). Roles of serious game in diabetes patient education. Simulation & Gaming, 53(5):513–537.
Mayer, R. E. (2002). Multimedia learning. In Psychology of learning and motivation, volume 41, pages 85–139. Elsevier.
Mayer, R. E. (2005). The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning. Cambridge university press.
Nascimento, L. T., Honda, F., Melo, D., Pessoa, M., Oliveira, E. H., Fernandes, D., and Pires, F. G. (2023). My name: desenvolvimento de um conjunto de mecânicas para abordar o problema da mochila em um jogo educacional. In Anais do XXXIV Simpósio Brasileiro de Informática na Educação, pages 888–899. SBC.
NIDDK (2023). Pharmacists help patients improve medication adherence. Accessed: 2025-06-08.
Novák, D. (2015). Handbook of research on holistic perspectives in gamification for clinical practice. IGI global.
Pires, F., Pessoa, M., de Lima, F. M. M., Bernardo, J. R. S., and Ferreira, R. M. (2020). O livro do conhecimento: um serious game educacional para aprendizagem de ortografia da língua portuguesa. Revista Brasileira de Informática na Educaçao, 28:436–460.
Pires, F. G. d. S. (2021). Thinkted lab, um caso de aprendizagem criativa em computação no nível superior.
Plass, J. L., Homer, B. D., and Kinzer, C. K. (2015). Foundations of game-based learning. Educational psychologist, 50(4):258–283.
Shadan, M., Ismail, H., and Naushad, F. H. M. (2025). Diabe-teach: a randomized controlled trial of a gamified approach to enhance medical undergraduates’ knowledge and comprehension of diabetes mellitus. BMC Medical Education, 25(1):17.
Silva, D., Pires, F., Melo, R., and Pessoa, M. (2022). Glboard: um sistema para auxiliar na captura e análise de dados em jogos educacionais. In Anais Estendidos do XXI Simpósio Brasileiro de Jogos e Entretenimento Digital, pages 959–968. SBC.
Thangavelu, D. P., Tan, A. J., Cant, R., Chua, W. L., and Liaw, S. Y. (2022). Digital serious games in developing nursing clinical competence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nurse Education Today, 113:105357.
Wang, Y., Wang, Z., Liu, G., Wang, Z., Wang, Q., Yan, Y., Wang, J., Zhu, Y., Gao, W., Kan, X., et al. (2022). Application of serious games in health care: scoping review and bibliometric analysis. Frontiers in Public Health, 10:896974.
WHO (2003). Adherence to long-term therapies: Evidence for action. Accessed: 2025-06-08.
Bujanda, A. and Bujanda, E. (2022). Diabescape: An innovative educational project on diabetes. Endocrinología, Diabetes y Nutrición (English ed.), 69(6):392–400.
Candido, T. F. N., de Souza Simões, D. V. S., and de Carvalho Ishiuchi, G. G. (2024). Prevenção do diabetes mellitus tipo 2 no sistema único de saúde brasileiro: uma breve análise entre campanhas de conscientização e programas de rastreamento de pacientes. OBSERVATÓRIO DE LA ECONOMÍA LATINOAMERICANA, 22(11):e7815–e7815.
CDC (2024). National diabetes statistics report, 2024. Accessed: 2025-06-08.
Cheng, M.-T., Chen, J.-H., Chu, S.-J., and Chen, S.-Y. (2015). The use of serious games in science education: a review of selected empirical research from 2002 to 2013. Journal of computers in education, 2:353–375.
Clark, M. C. (2010). Narrative learning: Its contours and its possibilities. New Directions For Adult & Continuing Education, 2010(126).
Clark, M. C. and Rossiter, M. (2008). Narrative learning in adulthood. New directions for adult and continuing education, 2008(119):61–70.
Egan, A. M. and Dinneen, S. F. (2022). What is diabetes? Medicine, 50(10):615–618.
Federation, I. D. (2025). Idf diabetes atlas 11th edition. [link]. 537 million adults with diabetes in 2021; projected 852.5 million by 2050.
Fisher, W. R. (1984). Narration as a human communication paradigm: The case of public moral argument. Communications Monographs, 51(1):1–22.
Gui, Y., Cai, Z., Yang, Y., Kong, L., Fan, X., and Tai, R. H. (2023). Effectiveness of digital educational game and game design in stem learning: a meta-analytic review. International Journal of STEM Education, 10(1):36.
Gurbuz, S. C. and Celik, M. (2022). Serious games in future skills development: A systematic review of the design approaches. Computer Applications in Engineering Education, 30(5):1591–1612.
Jimmy, B. and Jose, J. (2011). Patient medication adherence: measures in daily practice. Oman medical journal, 26(3):155.
Jullien, M. d. O. (2013). Candy castle: um jogo sério para pacientes com diabetes.
Ling, C., Seetharaman, S., and Mirza, L. (2022). Roles of serious game in diabetes patient education. Simulation & Gaming, 53(5):513–537.
Mayer, R. E. (2002). Multimedia learning. In Psychology of learning and motivation, volume 41, pages 85–139. Elsevier.
Mayer, R. E. (2005). The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning. Cambridge university press.
Nascimento, L. T., Honda, F., Melo, D., Pessoa, M., Oliveira, E. H., Fernandes, D., and Pires, F. G. (2023). My name: desenvolvimento de um conjunto de mecânicas para abordar o problema da mochila em um jogo educacional. In Anais do XXXIV Simpósio Brasileiro de Informática na Educação, pages 888–899. SBC.
NIDDK (2023). Pharmacists help patients improve medication adherence. Accessed: 2025-06-08.
Novák, D. (2015). Handbook of research on holistic perspectives in gamification for clinical practice. IGI global.
Pires, F., Pessoa, M., de Lima, F. M. M., Bernardo, J. R. S., and Ferreira, R. M. (2020). O livro do conhecimento: um serious game educacional para aprendizagem de ortografia da língua portuguesa. Revista Brasileira de Informática na Educaçao, 28:436–460.
Pires, F. G. d. S. (2021). Thinkted lab, um caso de aprendizagem criativa em computação no nível superior.
Plass, J. L., Homer, B. D., and Kinzer, C. K. (2015). Foundations of game-based learning. Educational psychologist, 50(4):258–283.
Shadan, M., Ismail, H., and Naushad, F. H. M. (2025). Diabe-teach: a randomized controlled trial of a gamified approach to enhance medical undergraduates’ knowledge and comprehension of diabetes mellitus. BMC Medical Education, 25(1):17.
Silva, D., Pires, F., Melo, R., and Pessoa, M. (2022). Glboard: um sistema para auxiliar na captura e análise de dados em jogos educacionais. In Anais Estendidos do XXI Simpósio Brasileiro de Jogos e Entretenimento Digital, pages 959–968. SBC.
Thangavelu, D. P., Tan, A. J., Cant, R., Chua, W. L., and Liaw, S. Y. (2022). Digital serious games in developing nursing clinical competence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nurse Education Today, 113:105357.
Wang, Y., Wang, Z., Liu, G., Wang, Z., Wang, Q., Yan, Y., Wang, J., Zhu, Y., Gao, W., Kan, X., et al. (2022). Application of serious games in health care: scoping review and bibliometric analysis. Frontiers in Public Health, 10:896974.
WHO (2003). Adherence to long-term therapies: Evidence for action. Accessed: 2025-06-08.
Publicado
24/11/2025
Como Citar
FILHO, Airton; HONDA, Fabrizio; MACENA, Jeniffer; LIMA, Márcia; PESSOA, Marcela; PIRES, Fernanda.
Dungeons and Diabetes: co-design of an educational game to promote diabetes awareness. In: SIMPÓSIO BRASILEIRO DE INFORMÁTICA NA EDUCAÇÃO (SBIE), 36. , 2025, Curitiba/PR.
Anais [...].
Porto Alegre: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação,
2025
.
p. 1786-1795.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/sbie.2025.12916.
