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Collaborative creativity is an essential skill for unleashing university students' skills in team building during complex problem-solving. The aim of this descriptive quantitative research was to examine undergraduate students' perspectives regarding their collaborative creativity experience as game creators for a gamification group assignment within a university-wide elective course on learning disabilities. The Assessment Scale of Creative Collaboration (ASCC) questionnaire was completed by 14 students. The results provide insightful perspectives by undergraduate students regarding their experience in collaborative creativity during game creation. The findings from the closed-ended questions of the ASCC demonstrate that most of the students valued the diversity of knowledge and skills of their team members, shared different ideas, adapted their ideas and practices according to the project difficulties, trusted their team members, co-constructed the game together, overcame conflicts in positive ways, developed multiple versions of their game, and coordinated well for their team project. Data from the open-ended questions of the ASCC, which provided detailed but nuanced perspectives of the students, were analysed thematically. Three main themes were identified: the positive aspects of gamification, the constraints related to the gamification project, and teamwork and collaborative problem-solving approaches. This study provides evidence on the feasibility of game creation that is embedded within gamification group projects for fostering collaborative creativity among undergraduate students. Gamification has the potential in supporting the acquisition of 21st century learning and innovation skills in higher education. Implications of the application of gamification in higher education are discussed.

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is the causative agent of pleuropneumonia, an economically important lung disease in pigs. In draft genomes of two Cypriot clinical A. pleuropneumoniae isolates (MIDG3457 and MIDG3459), we previously identified single genomic regions with homology to Mu-like bacteriophage and presented preliminary evidence of active phage. Here, updated Phastest genomic analysis identified two loci in both MIDG3457 and MIDG3459 that were predicted to encode proteins with high homology to, and whose organisation was characteristic of, Mu-like phages. Phylogenetically, the closest matches were with Mannheimia Vb and Glaesserella SuMu phages. Phastest scored the loci as “complete”, indicating they produced active phage. PCR amplification of the Mu-like phage c and tail genes from DNase-treated polyethylene glycol 8000 (PEG)-precipitated supernatants of MIDG3457 and MIDG3459 (grown in either Brain Heart Infusion-NAD or Grace’s Insect Medium-NAD broth) indicated the presence of intact virions. The phages from MIDG3457 and MIDG3459 were named PluMu 3457-1, 3457-2, and PluMu 3459-1 and PluMu 3459-2, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the PEG-precipitated supernatants of broth-grown MIDG3459 identified virions with icosahedral heads and tails, consistent with other Mu-like phages. We conclude that MIDG3459 produces an active Mu-like phage.