SEIZURES PACKAGE
Gamification meets eLearning in the You Made a Difference Award winner 2021.
THE BRIEF
Triple zero calls for patients having seizures are some of the most challenging calls to manage. Seizures can look quite frightening so callers are often panicked, and unless they're experienced with managing seizures they might not realise what is happening. Seizures can present in many different ways, and there are also some other conditions that can masquerade as seizures, so identifying a seizure over the phone can sometimes be tricky for ambulance call-takers.
My role was to create an online training package to help triple zero call-takers recognise and manage the various types of seizures, understand how to care for patients in each stage of a seizure, and provide some practical tips for reassuring panicked callers in these situations.
THE PREP
One of the main goals for this training package was to help call-takers identify different types of seizures, so my first port of call was to source video footage showing a variety of seizure presentations so that the learners could see what their callers are seeing.
I then spoke to ambulance call-taking SMEs to learn about their experiences with managing these types of seizures over the phone - the words and phrases that callers might use to describe what we see in the videos, any red flags or things to look out for at certain stages of the seizure, and tried and true methods for reassuring panicked callers.
​
Finally, I consulted the literature from the College of Emergency Dispatch - the peak international body for emergency call-taking and dispatch - to find out which medical protocols to use when faced with non-standard seizure presentation.
THE DESIGN
With the prep work done, it was time to group the information into segments of related information and arrange them in a logical order. As always, I started with a general introduction and explanation of the learning outcomes, then moved straight into the main body.
The learners would begin by exploring six common types of seizures, with video footage, what to expect, possible complications, and tips for identifying and managing each type. This was followed by a section that looked at the different causes of seizures and explained which medical protocols to use for each situation, and why. The final section drew all of this information together and shared some practical techniques for every seizure situation, such as caring for postictal patients and reassuring panicked callers.
Looking at my course design, I was conscious of two potential challenges: there was a lot of detailed information for the learners to absorb, and the topics and video footage would be quite confronting. I asked myself what I could do to address both of these issues, and struck upon a solution: games! Including short, gamified activities throughout the lessons would break up the content, keep the learners engaged, and confirm understanding along the way, and it would also give learners a chance to reset before moving onto the next confronting topic.
​
THE FUN PART
​
There was a large volume of information to cover in this training package, so I decided to use animation and voiceover to reduce the amount of reading required. After writing and recording the script, I built the lessons in Vyond, then moved onto creating the games.
​
The medical protocols used by ambulance call-takers are each designated a specific number, so this topic lent itself perfectly to a game of roulette. In the game, learners listen to part of a triple zero call describing a seizure and decide which protocol to select based on the information they hear. Then they drop their casino chips onto the corresponding number on the roulette board and spin the wheel to find out if they were right. I used variables, spin animations and motion paths in Articulate Storyline to bring the game to life.
​
I also used triple zero calls to make gamified activities on reassuring callers, identifying seizures and caring for postictal patients. ​I created animated stories in Vyond to go along with the phone audio, and integrated these stories with Articulate Storyline to allow for interactivity. At key points in the scenario, learners were able to jump into the story to identify seizure types or the calming techniques used by the call-taker, and decide what the call-taker should do next.
​
These games gave learners a chance to practise using their new skills and knowledge, consolidate their learning and confirm their understanding.
SEE IT
In accordance with intellectual property and confidentiality policies, I am unable to share video captures or games from the Seizures course online. A selection of still images is available below.
