Game On! LSU Brings Play to the Classroom to Make Infectious Disease Lessons Less Daunting

Learning about infectious diseases can feel burdensome. LSU’s Hollie Hale-Donze, faculty rector in the LSU College of Science and distinguished instructor, saw this challenge firsthand in her senior-level Microbial Pathogens course, where students spend three hours at a time grappling with the complexity of how the immune system works.  

 

Photos by Zoe Samples, LSU biology student

“I was looking for more engaging ways for students to learn about infectious diseases and the immune system, and couldn’t find anything on the market that was appropriate for a senior-level course,” Hale-Donze said. 

While searching the Internet, she discovered ImmunoWars, a game created in the Netherlands in 2019 at the Leiden Bio-Science Park by two students from Leiden University. The students envisioned a game that would bring the intricate world of immunology to the masses.  

“This game has excellent and accurate information presented in a concise, deliberate manner that allows for fast gameplay while learning science,” Hale-Donze said.    

She reached out to the game’s creators, and a collaboration was born.  

“LSU, Harvard, and three leading medical schools in the Netherlands have been providing feedback to the creators so that they can incorporate it towards their goal of providing scientifically accurate information in a fun and creative way to the public,” Hale-Donze said.

The game’s cards contain detailed information about viral and bacterial microorganisms that cause diseases, the immune system, antibiotics, vaccines, and personal protective equipment.  

“We learn about the pathogens and immune system, and then the students play the game, which reinforces the content and forces them to think about how the immune system, vaccines, and antibiotics can protect against different types of pathogens, but also be thwarted by pathogens,” Hale-Donze said.

The students must strategically protect themselves, generate energy, and stay healthy as their classmates attempt to infect them. The students described the experience as an amazing addition to their class. 

“ImmunoWars was a very engaging tactical card game that brought together surprisingly realistic facts with hilarious interactions with friends. My favorite moments with ImmunoWars were when I would use a card that contained information on a subject that we had just been talking about in class. Without fail, it would always crack everyone up,” said John Ferguson, a biology major from Baton Rouge. 

“The game does a really great job at portraying human/disease adaptations and treatments, and is great at teaching about it,” said Annabella Ho, a biological sciences major from Baton Rouge. “This game is right up my alley. I’m trying to become a physician assistant, so I loved how close the game was to my passions and how it correlates to my studies.” 

This past year, Hale-Donze shared detailed feedback with the creators as they work to develop versions of the game that can be played in under an hour and adapted for broader audiences. All while creating a memorable learning experience for her students. 

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