A flexible scenario-based mobile learning system for disaster evacuation

Abstract

Disaster prevention awareness has been growing in Japan since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. This research aimed to improve high school students’ judgments in emergency situations by training through a scenario-based learning support system called “ES3.” Groups of four to five students were presented with a hypothetical earthquake disaster scenario on Android tablets and used their own judgment to navigate routes and shelters throughout the evacuation process. Faced with certain dangers and sites of damage, the students were required to select appropriate responsive actions. During the exercise, learning logs of locations and input values were stored in the server system. Following the exercise, the students discussed their decisions and actions, completing a questionnaire on safety consciousness. The data analysis suggested that the students selected actions, shelter, and evacuation routes using their own subjective judgment, and that the evacuation training increased their consciousness of their own safety.