Play to Learn: A Game to Improve Seismic-Risk Perception

Abstract

A board game designed by psychologists and geologists to improve seismic-risk perception is presented. In a within-subjects repeated-measure study, 64 Italian high-school students rated their perception of seismic risk in relation to the hazard, vulnerability and exposure of the area in which they lived, before and after the game. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), which considered perception of seismic risk as the dependent variable and time as the independent variable, revealed that the board game affected the dependent variable, particularly the perception of hazard and vulnerability. The results confirm the effectiveness of the game in changing participants’ seismic risk perception, properly because the game was built with consideration of the variables that make up seismic risk. The board game proved to be an effective and fun educational tool to be used in future earthquake risk prevention programs.