Challenges of Simulations and Serious Games Embedded in Emergency Preparedness Platforms

This study examines the difficulties of embedding simulations and serious games (SSGs) into emergency preparedness (EP) training within university settings, focusing on the B-prepared ecosystem, a set of four open platforms (VR-prepared, IM-prepared, Disastropedia, and RU-prepared). Its central argument is that integrating these tools into formal education is far more complicated than developing them, because institutional constraints and distinct educational competencies shape whether such integration succeeds. The authors draw on a multiple-case study of three engineering courses at a Norwegian technical university, supplemented by a conceptual framework that aligns SSG technical requirements with ecosystem-level EP needs. The work is presented as ongoing, and the authors acknowledge that no established evaluation approach yet exists for integrations of this kind.

The principal findings concern the barriers encountered during course integration. Rigid curricula, predefined learning outcomes, limited teacher capacity, and incompatible learning management systems all constrained adoption, though integration proved feasible overall. Usability results varied notably, with System Usability Scale scores of 56% in one context and 86% in another; these differences appeared to stem from variations in access routes rather than inherent qualities of the games themselves, underscoring how deployment conditions can distort perceived quality. The authors conclude that the modular structure of the ecosystem permits flexible curricular adjustment.

To guide future work, the study proposes a six-stage framework covering design, adaptation, deployment, use, evaluation, and iteration. The scope is limited to three engineering courses at one Norwegian institution during a single study phase, and the reliance on a freemium model and small cohorts restricts generalizability. The surrounding literature, spanning immersive learning models, serious games in education, and disaster risk reduction, situates the work within broader research on emergency and evacuation training.