The birth of the virtual clinic
Elizabeth Losh · 2007
The Interactive Media Laboratory at Dartmouth Medical School produces computer games and multimedia programs for public health preparedness. With funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the IML is now developing the Virtual Terrorism Response Academy, which uses game technology to prepare first responders for rescue efforts in which hazardous materials may be involved. This paper looks at the taxonomy of related game genres, the history of the "Virtual Clinic" concept that shapes the user's spatial experience, and the original rationale for creating what Max Boisot calls "epistemology space." From the perspective of an outside researcher, it also offers an account of the VRTA designers' responses to potential criticism from learning specialists in game studies who object that the game is too didactic and discourages trial-and-error by restraining the learner in the narrative conceit of a "simulation of a simulation." The author argues that despite an understandable emphasis on the rhetorical situation of professional communication and the chain of command, the tendencies of the game's mechanics to emphasize multiple-choice testing rather than exploit potential spatial enhancements could detract from the effectiveness of the game.