Promoting Tsunami Risk Awareness through Service Learning and the Application of the Disaster Imagination Game (DIG) in Ocean Engineering: an Analysis of Students' Perceptions Years Later

Abstract

The Disaster Imagination Game (DIG) is a Japanese method to promote disaster risk awareness and resilience. It is a simple, low-cost, versatile, and effective methodology for strengthening local capacities for disaster prevention. The game's core is a teamwork exercise around a printed map, where people discuss and record information about the territory under study. We used an adaptation of the DIG methodology in the context of a service-learning third-year course in an Ocean Engineering program at a regional university in Chile. During the course, students were first introduced to the theoretical and empirical aspects of earthquakes and tsunamis. Then, they were guided through the conceptual and practical learning of the game to prepare them as facilitators. At the end of the course, students led a DIG workshop with community members that allowed participants to identify evacuation routes and vulnerabilities in the city. After more than two years and a pandemic hiatus, we wonder: how might this experience have impacted students' tsunami and earthquake awareness? In this article, we present a small qualitative inquiry. We interviewed students who actively participated in the service-learning experience to analyze their perceptions of their disaster risk awareness learning promoted by the course. The results indicate that students value the experience as a catalyst for their risk awareness, identified in actions such as paying attention to evacuation routes in diverse settings or creating preparation strategies. Moreover, students value the opportunity to work closely with the community as a contribution to their professional identity. Findings offer implications for engineering educators interested in applying service-learning experiences to promote professional learning and community engagement.