Game designing and game playing: what we have

learned from the SimSafety project! The case of Greece.

Social Applications for Lifelong Learning, Patra, Greece, 4-5

November 2010Maria Fountana, Vasilis Delis, Thanasis

Hadzilacos and Demetra Egarchou

RACTI

The “SimSafety”

3D virtual online environment for “safely” exposing players to potential risks , i.e. teaching danger through simulation

Target group: 9-12 yrs old Teachers and/or parents The “Chaperon” (escort) role in Internet activities Rules for re-playability and scalability Other positive effects

Deal with generational “digital distance” Intercultural and International communication

Theoretical Considerations

Internet Safety Issues Possible Internet Risks

Content risks Contact risks Conduct risks

Learning and Game Playing

Conceptual Design

Gaming mechanism Scenarios supporting (for teachers/parents, for pupils)

different game settings different objectives

Controlled environment Scoring system Flexibility Links to all safety internet projects currently running in

Europe

Schools, teachers and pupils

School Name No of Teachers No of Pupils Pupils’ age

48th Primary school, Patras

1-2 20  5ft grade (10-11 years old)

60th Primary school, Patras

1-2 20-40 6th grade (11-12 years old)

1st Primary school in Markopoulo, Athens

2 2*20=40 6th grade (11-12 years old)

Indicative list of activities

SimSafety_Testing_Workshop_EL SimSafety_MiniGame_Scenario01: “Explosive Photos” SimSafety_MiniGame_Scenario02: “We don’t play with you” SimSafety_MiniGame_Scenario03: “Theft” SimSafety_Scenario04: “Making New Friends in SimSafety” SimSafety_Scenario05: “Handling Lost Items in SimSafety - The Lost Keys” SimSafety_Scenario06: “Handling Lost Items in SimSafety - The Sim Card” SimSafety_Scenario07: “Handling Lost Items in SimSafety - The Credit

Card” SimSafety_Scenario08: “The Bullying Machine” SimSafety_Scenario09: “The Quizzes”

Data collection Techniques

Videos and Pictures SimSafety Recordings from activities Fieldnotes Collection of Questionnaires

Implementation Drawbacks

Difficulties setting up the computer labs (upgrade of internet connection and memory cards in all three labs involved in the project)

Limited Number of computers available in primary school labs

Low connectivity Difficulty arranging SimSafety sessions

Implementation Highlights

Great enthusiasm on behalf of pupils (many more would like to have been involved in the project. However, the limited number of computers available as well as the limited time available in schools made this almost impossible)

Great support from teachers Persistence and patience on behalf of pupils

who also access SimSafety from home regularly

Some Fieldnotes 6th grade primary school pupils tend to be more focused and perform

better in SimSafety than 5th grade primary school pupils SimSafety is not an environment that pupils can take full advantage

of without the support of an inspired teacher Often visits to SimSafety minimises the technical problems and

highlights the positive aspects Mini games are successful when one of the roles is being played by

an adult making provocative questions and initiating interesting discussions

Interesting discussions among teacher and pupils occurred during mini game playing and while answering the quizzes

Some of the pupils have become great funs of SimSafety and import “gestures” to the system, help us debug it etc.

Pupils’ Comments (1/2)

They liked: the graphics (they thought there were many nice

places to visit) their avatars that there were many nice things to do that they could discuss with each other that they could discuss with pupils from other

countries flying the “Report Centre”

Pupils’ Comments (2/2) They didn’t like:

“sinking” into the water or in the ground due to bad internet connection

the fact that “Kostas whispers” (bullying machine) was calling them names

They suggest that we implement : planes, cars and motorbikes More action Superpowers Some punching and striking More games Multiple cities Speed (make the system quicker)

Teachers’ comments

They liked role playing games (they found them educationally useful)

They thought it was an asset of SimSafety to have many pupils online at the same time discussing and acting together

They thought there is great potential in SimSafety

Thank you