Abstract for: A Dynamic Simulator of Disorders of the Body Water Homeostasis for Medical Education

We propose to build a web-based medical simulator. The Body Water Game (BWGame), a simulation-based interface, enables users to explore and learn about one of the body’s homeostatic feedback systems. This online platform helps users learn about body’s response to potential treatment policies and actions. Users are expected to gain an understanding of how coupled physiological feedback loops operate in healthy and diseased states. They will work on a body fluid/electrolyte disorder to understand the scale and urgency of the situation, the impact of different policies and actions, and the dynamics and interactions of different available treatment choices. We propose to evaluate learning outcomes from the game conducting pre- and post-tests and surveys. In our experimental design, medical students are planned to be divided into 3 groups that are going to study the system using traditional learning methods, a classic SD-based method, and a game-based approach.