A role-playing game on “Social determinants of health during an epidemic/pandemic outbreak”
Students – future teachers Sofia, Helene, Rafaela, Vasiliki and Spyridoula at the University of Ioannina created the didactic transformation of the PAFSE educational scenario “Social determinants of health during an epidemic/pandemic outbreak”. The didactic transformation incorporates a role-playing game concerning health disparities due to social inequities, economic status, demographics, place of residence, etc. The five students created certain personalities and wrote a series of 28 statements relevant to a pandemic situation (e.g., I have easy access to medical care; I can afford to visit a private doctor in case I cannot make an appointment at a public hospital immediately; I often shop online as it makes it easier to buy goods being safe at home; I have a very good Internet connection at home; during the pandemic I was able to work remotely, etc.). All the students attending the undergraduate course “STEM Education” at the Department of Primary Education played the game. Each one of them played a character – personality based on a different socioeconomic status, demographics, place of residence, etc. The teacher was reading each one of the 28 statements out loud. Every student representing the character relevant to the situation stated by the teacher, took a step forward. At the end of the game, the final positions of all students highlighted the social inequities and social determinants of health during the pandemic.
