E-learning of IT security threats: A game prototype for children

Abstract

In this paper an e-learning game prototype for primary school children (aged between 7 and 9 years) is introduced. The game teaches children about IT security threats, which they encounter using the Internet. The game is separated into three mini games: virus infection of the computer, inviting somebody in social networks, chatting with strangers. The game design used metaphors and based on standard guidelines of infantile learning environments (e.g. paradigm of simplicity, multidimensional stimuli, characters). Furthermore, the results of a user study of 36 primary school children are presented. In the future, the prototype would be extended by additional metaphors. © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2013.