21 What surprised Liam most about Dr. Thorne’s recent study?
A the dropout rate
B the age of participants
C the length of the sessions
22 Chloe believes the biggest challenge with gamification in care homes is
A the initial cost.
B staff training.
C internet connectivity.
23 Regarding the “Meadowbrook Trial”, both students agree that
A it needs more funding.
B the sample size was too small.
C the results were exaggerated.
24 What are they going to include in their presentation introduction?
A a video clip
B a brief quiz
C a personal story
25 Who will they interview next week?
A a game developer
B a care home manager
C an elderly player
Questions 26 to 30
What primary benefit does each of the following games provide?
Choose FIVE answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-G, next to Questions 26 to 30.
Primary Benefits
A improves balance
B enhances spatial memory
C encourages social interaction
D increases hand-eye coordination
E reduces anxiety
F boosts vocabulary
G helps cardiovascular health
Games
26 MindTrek ……………………………………………
27 EchoStep ……………………………………………
28 GardenBreeze VR ………………………………
29 MemoryLane ………………………………………
30 RhythmRider ………………………………………
Keys
21 A
22 B
23 B
24 B
25 A
26 B
27 A
28 E
29 C
30 D
Transcripts
Part 3: You will hear two university students, Liam and Chloe, discussing a research project on gamification in elderly care.
LIAM: Hey Chloe, did you manage to finish reading that paper on gamification in elderly care? You know, the one by Dr. Aris Thorne from the SilverSpark Institute?
CHLOE: Yeah, Liam, I just finished it. It is fascinating. We usually just think of video games for teenagers, not people in their eighties.
LIAM: Exactly. Looking at Thorne’s study, I expected the elderly participants to struggle. But what really shocked me was the dropout rate. It was almost zero! I thought maybe the session length might tire them out, or their age would be an issue, but no, they stayed committed.
CHLOE: Very impressive. But implementing this in actual care homes is another story. Some argue the initial cost of VR headsets and tablets is the main barrier.
LIAM: True, hardware is not cheap. Or maybe getting a stable internet connection? Wi-Fi in those old buildings can be terrible.
CHLOE: Actually, most facilities have decent internet now, and tablet prices are dropping. For me, the real hurdle is staff training. If carers do not know how to run the games, the tech just gathers dust.
LIAM: Good point. We should mention that. What did you think about the Meadowbrook Trial case study?
CHLOE: The interactive bowling one? The researchers claimed it changed the residents’ mood overnight. I felt the results were slightly exaggerated, honestly.
LIAM: Really? But looking at the numbers… yeah, okay, only twenty people took part. I guess we both admit the sample size was too small to make such sweeping claims.
CHLOE: Exactly. Anyway, for our presentation on Tuesday, how should we start? I was thinking of showing a short video clip of my granddad playing VR.
LIAM: A personal story is nice, but a video takes too much time. What if we do a brief quiz with the audience to test their assumptions about aging and tech?
CHLOE: I like that! A quiz gets everyone engaged right away. Let’s do that instead of the video.
LIAM: Perfect. And for our research, we have that interview next week. Did you confirm with the care home manager?
CHLOE: I tried, but she canceled due to an inspection. However, I managed to get hold of a game developer instead, someone who specializes in senior-friendly interfaces.
LIAM: Even better! They will give us great technical insights.
CHLOE: Right. Now, we need to categorize the specific games. Let’s start with MindTrek.
LIAM: The tablet maze game, right? I read it helps with hand-eye coordination.
CHLOE: Actually, clinical data shows its primary benefit is different. Because it forces players to remember complex routes, it significantly enhances spatial memory.
LIAM: That is interesting. I thought it was just a hand-eye exercise. Okay, spatial memory. What about EchoStep? That is the musical mat they stand on.
CHLOE: Yeah. You would think it is for cardiovascular health, but the pace is not fast enough. It is designed to prevent falls. It steadily improves balance.
LIAM: That makes sense. Next is GardenBreeze VR.
CHLOE: The virtual reality gardening one. I suppose it is quite relaxing?
LIAM: Very. Clinical notes say it drastically reduces anxiety, especially in dementia patients. They just water virtual plants.
CHLOE: Nice to see it reduces anxiety. Then there is MemoryLane.
LIAM: The multiplayer trivia game. They play it in teams on a big screen.
CHLOE: Does it boost their vocabulary?
LIAM: It involves words, but the main goal is getting them talking to each other. It actively encourages social interaction to fight loneliness.
CHLOE: Social interaction, that is great. Finally, RhythmRider, the one with motion controllers.
LIAM: Yeah, they swing their arms to catch virtual notes. That one definitely increases hand-eye coordination. They must time movements perfectly.
CHLOE: Noted. I think we have a solid outline for Tuesday now.
