The MIRROR serious game for training care home staff was featured in an Asian webinar on August 28th. The webinar included presentations on using games to detect early dementia and extending healthcare in Korea. David Wortley then presented on the MIRROR game which was developed to foster reflective learning for health and care sector staff. The webinar concluded with discussions of using games to help aging populations and bringing healthcare to remote communities through new technologies.

1. MIRROR HEALTHCARE SERIOUS GAME FEATURED IN ASIAN WEBINAR
APAN WEBINAR SCREENSHOT
The European FP7 funded project “MIRROR” which included a serious game for training staff in care
homes using latest generation collaborative and reflective learning practices was featured in an
inaugural web conference on August 28th. The presentation was delivered by David Wortley, a
freelance consultant contracted by leading Italian serious games specialist, Imaginary, to participants
in Sri Lanka, Korea, Nepal, USA, Singapore and Japan using a videoconferencing platform hosted by
the Korean partners.
The webinar began with USA-based Professor Wesson Ashford of Stanford University showing the
physical characteristics of brains affected by Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease to demonstrate the
need for early diagnosis and the use of a web-based picture recognition game to detect early stage
dementia before it becomes irreversible. His presentation was followed by Professor Jeongeun Kim
in Korea describing how Korea has developed many health-related games as it seeks to extend
healthcare across 5 axes.
David Wortley, former Founding Director of the Serious Games Institute, began the MIRROR project
presentation with short introduction to the impact of technology on the use of games
methodologies and mechanics for healthcare, beginning with applications which were specifically
tailored to complex, costly or risky training scenarios through to the consumerisation of casual
games such as Wii Fit which use entertainment to bring enjoyment and motivation to preventative
healthcare and behavioural change.
David then showed a video of the MIRROR serious game developed by Imaginary before describing
the theoretical framework and strategy behind this important innovative use of games technology.
MIRROR is a project studying reflective learning in different forms and through different techniques.
One of these is serious games and within the studies of how serious games can foster reflection in
learning we have worked for the health and care sector with the game you presented. MIRROR is a

2. ground-breaking initiative which opens up new possibilities for collaborative and reflective learning
in other application areas, as well as providing a foundation for other commercial recruitment and
personnel development sectors.
Christopher Ng who heads up the new Serious Games Association (SGA) for Asia initiative presented
the background rationale and strategy behind the SGA as a pioneering force to promote and develop
the use of serious games in the Asia Pacific region, with a major conference in Singapore from
October 4th-6th which David Wortley is supporting as an external advisor.
Dr Shin-ichiro Takasugi of Kyushu U Hospital, Japan spoke about the use of specially developed
“casual games” to help address some of the issues of the ageing population. Backed by some major
industry partners his hospital has been exploring the use of custom designed arcade games that
require both physical and mental agility from its older players and by researching the physical and
mental benefits of these games, they have been able to demonstrate significant improvements in
the physical and mental capabilities of older people.
The webinar concluded with a presentation from Dr Ashir Ahmed of Kyushu University, Japan who
described some of the technologies now being tested to bring healthcare to poorly served
communities.
The webinar was shown live to physical audiences in Korea and Sri Lanka and the MIRROR project
demonstrated some of the advanced and innovative use of serious games technologies now being
developed in Europe. It proved a very informative illustration of the diversity of technology
applications in this important global issue, especially related to some of the challenges faced as a
result of the Ageing Society.
More details of the Mirror project can be obtained as shown below :-
Mirror Web Site :- www.mirror-project.eu
Twitter:- @MirrorIP
Imaginary
CEO Lucia Pannese
Innovation Network Politecnico di Milano
Via Mauro Macchi, 50 – 20124 Milan
Tel: +39 02 89458.576
Web site :- www.i-maginary.it
Email: lucia.pannese@i-maginary.it