New Research Paper on Zombie Ants VR!

Zombie Ants VR: Using Trial-and-error Gameplay Mechanics to Intuitively Teach Players About Natural Selection

-European Journal of STEM Education

Zombie Ants VR: Definitive Edition can be divided into three levels corresponding with their respective loading zones. The left-most panel in each row depicts the map of the virtual environment for each level. The panels to the right show screenshots of each in-game event. The top row shows level 1, in which the players learn about how fungal parasites infect new hosts. The middle row shows level 2, in which players explore the ant nest and learn about how ants communicate, detect infections, and organize their colonies. The bottom row shows level 3, which can be accessed in either day mode or night mode depending on choices made in level 2. Here, players learn why Ophiocordyceps parasites manipulate daily rhythms in their hosts and that they induce submitting and death grip behaviors in manipulated ants to improve the spread of new spores. At the end of level 3, players are congratulated for completing one successful life cycle, at which point the whole game starts again.

Understanding the process of evolution is important for making informed decisions about the use of antibiotics and vaccinations to combat pathogens. Unfortunately, discussing the intersection of evolution and infectious diseases can be difficult due to preexisting religious views and/or political beliefs. We sought to explore whether gamification techniques like trial-and-error gameplay could overcome this problem by teaching the process of evolution without explicitly defining the theory. To do so, we created the freely available virtual reality game Zombie Ants VR: Definitive Edition, where players take on the role of

the zombie fungus Ophiocordyceps with the goal of infecting and behaviorally manipulating ant hosts. The player’s in-game decisions determined whether they succeeded and reproduced or if they died and needed to try again as a new fungal spore. By emphasizing that each new attempt took place with a new individual, we aimed to intuitively teach how natural selection acts at the population level and dispel common evolutionary misconceptions. To test if the gameplay mechanics would have this effect, we performed a small-sample exploratory study in which we compared participant responses on pre- and post-game questionnaires. Our results demonstrated that playing Zombie Ants VR: Definitive Edition increased players’ understanding of evolution, independent of preexisting beliefs.

You can read the full open-access publication here at the link below!