Focus Games, a global leader in game-based learning in healthcare, has launched FocusGamesIndia.com, which offers a unique suite of online educational games to support the teaching of the new competency-based Bachelor of Science (BSc) Nursing Curriculum in India.
According to a news release, the first set of 23 games has been published and they are mapped to the new curriculum to support the first semester. The company said more games will be published as new semesters begin.
Commenting on the launch, Melvin Bell, Director & Co-founder of Focus Games, said,
“The new BSc Nursing curriculum in India has provided an opportunity for us to collaborate with leading universities and academics to develop innovative game-based educational resources. We have a long-term strategy to support the healthcare sector in India. Many of the games we develop here will have a global appeal.”
The games allow students to work in teams and help them to develop the conscious competence they need to work effectively during placements and post-qualification. They improve the uptake and retention of knowledge but most importantly they develop the confidence students need to practice safely.
Dr. Vinay Kumari, Professor & Principal, Chitkara University College of Nursing, Himachal Pradesh, commented,
“In the world of digitalisation where students are highly tech friendly it is imperative to design digitalised educational experiences to keep the learners’ attention focussed and aligned towards learning. The digital educational games keep the learners engaged and motivated to learn in an interesting and safe virtual space.”
Dr. Sheeja C V, Professor & Principal, Aaffinity College of Nursing, Bengaluru, also commented saying,
“Game-based Learning plays an important role in teaching by making students collaborate, communicate, interact and work in teams. The games are very simple to manage, allowing the facilitator to concentrate on encouraging and maintaining group discussions.”
The games are developed in collaboration with leading nursing professors from prestigious Nursing Colleges in India, including M S Ramaiah Institute of Nursing Education & Research, Bengaluru; Chitkara University College of Nursing, Himachal Pradesh; Aligarh Muslim University College of Nursing, Aligarh; Aaffinity College of Nursing, Bengaluru; Gokulam Nursing College, Thiruvananthapuram; Dr. Somervell Memorial CSI College of Nursing, Thiruvananthapuram.
The undergraduate nursing curriculum in India is shifting to a competency-based curriculum from 2022. The clinical skill emphasis in the curriculum would make the programme even more attractive to students as global nurse recruiting healthcare organizations would increasingly recruit nurses trained in the new curriculum. The growing private healthcare and public healthcare systems in India also provide great opportunities for skilled nurse graduates to find employment within India. Games will effectively support the students in India to develop employability skills which the hospitals and health systems are keenly looking for, said a press statement.
Since 2004, Focus Games has developed over 100 games that make teaching in healthcare more effective and enjoyable. The games deal with a wide range of subjects and they are content-rich, subject-specific, competency-focused, and evidence-based. Healthcare providers and universities across the world use the games to make teaching and training more engaging and effective.
