<i>Hazagora: will you survive the next disaster?</i> – A serious game to raise awareness about geohazards and disaster risk reduction

Abstract

Abstract. Natural disasters are too often presented as resulting from extreme natural phenomena affecting helpless populations, with people being insufficiently aware of the factors leading to disasters and of the existing strategies to mitigate their impacts. We developed a board game aimed at raising awareness about geohazards and disaster risk reduction strategies. The target groups are (1) secondary school students and citizens and (2) scientists and stakeholders involved in risk management activities. For the first group, the aim is to induce a better understanding of the geohazards and disasters they are confronted with in the media or in their daily lives; for the second, the objective is to generate discussion about risk management strategies. The game was tested with students in Belgium and with citizens, earth scientists, and risk managers in several African countries. Based on analysis of the most common game strategies observed, the players' reactions during the game, and their answers to a short questionnaire, we analyzed the main learning outcomes conveyed by this game. The game Hazagora appears to positively enhance the players' insights into processes involved in disasters. As such, the game is an effective, fun learning tool to introduce participants to the concepts of geohazards and disasters and to generate discussion.

ANYCaRE: a role-playing game to investigate crisis decision-making and communication challenges in weather-related hazards

“…The roles to be played and the potential decisions and actions to be chosen by the players in ANYCaRE are predefined based on qualitative evidence gathered during European workshops that took place in March and April 2017 (Müller et al, 2017) and in previous research (Ruin, 2007).…”

“…As shown in Fig. 1, the timeline or temporality of the warning process often relates to three phases (Müller et al, 2017). The first one is a detection phase in which modelbased forecasts indicate the first signs of a potential high-impact event.…”

“…takes into account the needs and rights of the affected persons) and preventive (i.e. aims to completely avoid the potential adverse impacts of a disaster through action taken in advance) (Müller et al, 2017).…”

“…Examples of applications include role-playing simulations on flood management on cultural heritage sites for university students (Huyakorn et al, 2012), serious online games on natural disasters (e.g. tsunami, earthquakes) for children (Pereira et al, 2014), and serious board games on resilience to geological hazardous events for school students or adult stakeholders (Mossoux et al, 2016).…”

“Taphonomy: Dead and fossilized”: A new board game designed to teach college undergraduate students about the process of fossilization

“…Although historically games are rarely used as pedagogical tools in the Earth Sciences (see Reuss & Gardulski, 2001), many games are now in development (e.g., Cartier, 2018aCartier, , 2018b. Educational games or 'Serious Games' (coined by Abt, 1970) are designed to facilitate learning, make topics relevant and meaningful to students, and raise awareness of issues (Boyle, Connolly, & Hainey, 2011;Boyle et al, 2014;Foster, 2008;Mossoux et al, 2016;Nadolski et al, 2008). Advantages of serious games include their availability outside the classroom and immediacy of feedback (Ritzko & Robinson, 2006) as well as cooperative learning (Foster, 2008;Mayo, 2007).…”