1906 San Francisco earthquake
Survive an Earthquake |
Overview | Instructional Objective | Learners | Context | Scope | Object of Game |
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Earthquake is a sudden slipping or movement of a portion of the earth's crust, accompanied and followed by a series of vibrations. Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently, and without warning at any time of the day or night. If an earthquake occurs in a populated area, it may cause many deaths and injuries and extensive property damage. Therefore a severe earthquake and its terrible after effects is one of the most frightening and destructive phenomena of nature. For example, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and resulting fires, one of the most devastating in the history of California , caused an estimated 3,000 deaths and $524 million in property loss.
Although earthquakes are unpredictable and there are no guarantees of safety during and after an earthquake, identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can save lives and significantly reduce injuries and property damage. Survive an Earthquake is a simulation game designed to help people to prepare well before an earthquake and act correctly during and after an earthquake. Via this scenario-based simulation, the learners will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills that is crucial to reduce casualties. It can be used as an effective tool to prepare a community, a company, a school or other organizations to provide preventive resources in order to avoid or minimize casualties.
Survive an Earthquake is a valuable drilling tool for civilians who are interested in how to survive in an earthquake. It will provide learners necessary knowledge and skills to prepare before an earthquake and identify what are appropriate actions during and after an earthquake. After playing this game, the learners will be able to list all necessary basic survival things they might need in a jumbled situation caused by an earthquake. In addition, the learners will be able to identify what they should do and what they should not do in order to keep them safe during and after an earthquake.
This simulation is primarily designed for civilians who live in the areas where earthquakes might occur across the U.S. According to the data from U.S. Geological Survey, California,Alaska,Washington,and Oregon are very likely to be hit by earthquakes. Therefore people in these states are the primarily learners. But the learners are not limited to them. People in other states who plan to move to the above states are learners as well.
Because an earthquake affects everybody in a certain area, this simulation is user friendly to meet diversified user types. It can be used by individuals or by groups, privately or publicly. Here are some ways:
Before they play this game, learners should understand some basic concepts, such as what are earthquake, aftershock, epicenter, fault, magnitude and seismic waves etc. These concepts will help them to better understand what they will encounter in the game. Meanwhile, the game is computer/web based and needs a recent model PC or Macintosh computer. Learners can play it anywhere and as many times as they want until they are satisfied with the result.
In whatever way the learners use the simulation, a brief guide is provided at the beginning to introduce it and direct them how to play it. When the game is over, questions and associated discussion topics will be presented to help learners to deeper understand what to prepare before an earthquake and how to act during and after an earthquake.
The game consists of three modules: before-module, during-module and after-module. It is designed to let learners to finish these modules as fast as they can. When learners log into the game, the time count begins. The default time setting is 0. Every time when the learners finish the game, the length of time he uses will be shown as a record. Then the game will generate a ranking list and keep the top 5 records automatically.
The before-module focuses on how to prepare well before an earthquake. In this module, the learners need to collect all the basic survival things on a checklist inside a virtual house. There are three virtual settings in the during-module: indoor, outdoor, and driving, where they need to choose taking proper actions in order to ensure them safe when an earthquake is striking. The last module goes back to the virtual house and learners need to check the status in the house. They also need to wear proper shoes and know how to get updated information through proper media after an earthquake.
In each module, when the learners finish choosing an item/an action or answering a question, they will get instant feedback that tells them they are right or wrong. Only when their answers are all correct in one module, can they move to the next module. Generally it will cost learners 2 hours to finish three modules when they play the first time. They can play as many times as they want to achieve a record ranking they are satisfied. The destruction caused by earthquakes is so frightening that any tiny oversight may lead to unexpected casualty. The learners are expected to play this game repeatedly until the knowledge and skills are stored in their long time memory, so that they can do it right and quickly when disasters occur.
The goal of Survive an Earthquake is to improve learners’ knowledge and skills that will keep them safe once earthquakes occur. The learners will have the opportunities to experience how to prepare before an earthquake and how to take appropriate actions during and after an earthquake. They will strive for finishing the three modules as fast as they can. After they use the shortest time to finish this simulation, they will be able to perform the followings without any help:
The interactive playing environment is based on a geographical visual representation area where earthquakes might occur. In this simulation, three modules: before-module, during-module and after-module provide scenarios for learners to experience an earthquake. The learners will follow this order to play. Only when they choose all thingss completely and answer all questions correctly in one module, can they move on to the next one. They are encouraged to finish this simulation as fast as they can. The time they need to finish this game will be set as a record on a ranking list. The shorter the time is, the higher the rank will be. The game will keep the top 5 records and update them whenever there are new records available.In order to encourge learners to share knowledges and skills they learned from this simulation, before the ranking list appears, a popup window will asks learners whether they are willing to share the knowledge and skills they learned in this game with their family members. If they choose yes, they will get 5 minute deducted from their records.
Universal Elements
Earthquake Land is designed as the environment where the simulation will take place. It consists of three scenarios: before-module, during-module, and after-module. The scenes and sound in each scenario are set the same as what they are in real life.
Items and questions will appear in popup windows randomly whenever learner enter a scenario.When they choose a correctly item or give a right answer, learners will get a instant feedback with charmed music:“Congratulations!” Otherwise, they will get a desponding feedback: “Keep working!” along with a picture that shows they are injured.
In each scenario, there is a time counter with a default setting 0. Whenever the learners enter a scenario, the counter will begin counting time.
Specific Elements
Before-module After learners log into the game, they will enter the before-module scenario. In this scenario, a virtual house is set up for learners to practise the preparation for an earthquake. In this house, everything is normal: the sound and the scene are set the same as what they are in an ordinary day. There are many items inside this house. The mission is to find the following basic survival items in a shortest time:
Prepare before an earthquake
During an earthquake outdoor
Learners will not be allowed to move on to the next scenario unless they find all the 14 items. They can try as many times as they want. Each time they restart, the time counter will resume counting. The shortest time will be saved as the record of this scenario.
During-module In this scenario, there are three virtual settings during an earthquake: indoor, outdoor and on the road. Here an earthquake is striking: the earth and the walls are shaking, small items are falling onto the floor, electricity poles are swing and people are screaming. In each setting, there are some options for learners to choose. The mission is to select all the right answers in a shortest time.
Indoor
Outdoor
During an earthquake on the road
On the road
The rules are the same as those in the first scenario.
After-module In the last scenario there is a virtual house damaged by an earthquake. The earthquake is over. Fire and smoke around can be seen through the window, and the sound of ambulances can be heard everywhere. The mission is to select the right answers in a shortest time:
After an earthquake
When learners provide all correct answers, the game is over. If they are not satisfied with the time they use, learners can play this scenario again until they get a satisfying record. After they save the record of this scenario, the game will show how much time the learners use to play the whole game. Then a popup window will appear which asks learners whether they are going to share the knowledge and skills they learned in this game with their family members. If they choose yes, they will get 5 minute deducted from their records. Finally a ranking list will appear which keeps the top 5 records. The default setting on the ranking list is 0. It only saves those records that are shorter than the ones on the list.
Technical Elements
Survive an Earthquake is a simulation based on computer/web, the following technical requirements should be met:
Computer: The simulation requires a recent model PC or Macintosh computer. If learners do not have internet access, they must have a CD-ROM so they can run the game from a disk.
Internet: The simulation can also be delivered via internet. But it requires high speed connection (DSL /Cable).
Multimedia equipment: Because voice is a main part of this simulation, a speaker or a headset is highly recommended for playing this game.
There is no similar game to educate civilians how to survive an earthquake based on my search on the web. There are two PC games about earthquakes: Earthquake Madeness!1 and San Francisco Earthquake. The former allows players to produce earthquakes and save victims in a dangerous hotel. The latter sets the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake as the environment. The player needs to rescue his wife who is kidnapped. Both games choose earthquakes as a platform on which they develop their scenarios. But neither is involved with how to survive an earthquake.
There are two earthquake games for kids on the web: Earthquake Crossword and Earthquake Math Puzzle, which provide basic concepts about an earthquake. Learners can play them to gain some background information before they play Survive an Earthquake.
In the context of Keller's ARCS Model, the simulation gets learners' attention because of its relevance to the potential nature disaster they might have to face. By getting some survival knowledge and skills of an earthquake in a non-threatening environment, learners can develop confidence in their ability to react in the real-world environment to achieve a level of satisfaction. In addition, a safe learning environment is created by this simulation. In this simulation, rather than doing the real activity, learners are encouraged to explore until they get the correct answers without endangering their personal safety.
Meanwhile, Lepper & Malone's Taxonomy of Intrinsic Motivations are also represented in the simulation. First, it satisfies some level of curiosity about how to prepare before an earthquake occurs. Because nobody knows exactly when and where an earthquake will occur, doing well with the preventive jobs is the only choice people can have. This curiosity is further stimulated by the ability to take appropriate actions during and after an earthquake, giving learners hopes to reduce casualties if disasters occur. In addition, this simulation provides a challenge to finish the game in a shortest time. Those 5 persons who use the shortest time will be kept in the ranking list. The competition can come from a learner himself or other learners. On one hand it stimulates learners to remember all the answers in the game so that they can finish it very fast. On the other hand, the content of this game will keep in learners’ long time memory unconsciously.
Another component of the simulation is feedback. According to Malone & Lepper, learners need to be motivated by providing feedbacks that are clear, constructive and encouraging. In each scenario, once they choose an option, learners will be given an instant feedback, which allows them to know their performance and motivates them to move on.
When we heard about that a moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 struck northern California on October 30,2007, we were shocked because at that time many people evacuated by the wild fire in southern California were still anxiously waiting for the order that allowed them to return their homes. Thanks to the evacuation strategy, the casualty in this wild fire was far less than that in the one 4 years ago. But we were still in the mess caused by the wild fire and were not ready to know a new disaster occurred. Fortunately, it did not hit southern California. But what about those people in northern California? Were they ready for the earthquake? This was where our thoughts about this game came from.
After we searched some information about earthquakes on the web, we knew that earthquakes were unpredictable. So the best way to survive an earthquake was to identify potential hazards ahead of time and to take appropriate actions during and after an earthquake. Unexpectedly, we did not find some simulation games for people to learn knowledge and skills about earthquake on the web, except some simple number or word games for kids.
We thought a computer-based game would definitely help people to learn necessary knowledge and skills for earthquakes. We also thought Second Life was a perfect place to design the prototype. At first, we planned to generate some simulations of the whole process of an earthquake in Second Life: before, during and after. But later we realized that we did not have much time and resources to accomplish this. Instead, we chose three typical scenes and set up them in Second Life to give learners an overview of this game.
As for the rules, at first we set up an instructor in the game to give learners instant feedbacks when they were playing the game. Learners could choose game levels and tried to get highest scores. The game would keep the highest score as the record on the ranking list. But according to the instructor, an instructor in a game made it more like a training course rather than a game. And only one score in the ranking list did not seem to motivate learners very much. We discussed the opinions from the instructor, and deleted the instructor in the game. In addition, we realized that it was very hard to rank learners’ scores because there were three modules in this game. If each module had game levels, then how could we calculate learners’ final scores? Therefore, we chose finish time as the criterion for ranking and increased the records number on the ranking list from 1 to 5.
When we do the prototype test, the feedbacks from the classmates were very constructive as well, such as (1) make the learners more specific, (2) provide supporting screenshots of Second Life scenes to better illustrate the game; (3) provide encouragement if learners choose to share their knowledge and skills learned from this game with their family members; (4) add popup characters when learners click mouse to answer questions.
The lessons we learned from this game design are very helpful for our future design. First, do not force learners to learn things in games. Learners play games for fun. They do not like to be disturbed and learn things they are not interested. If a game is designed as training, it probably can not motivate learners very much. Second, the rules should be designed simple and make the game interesting, so learners can easily understand them and have fun when they are playing the game. Third, make full use of illustrations and sounds to attract learners.
Last updated Dec.10, 2007