Games-based e-learning co-designed with students to protect themselves and their friends from the drug ‘Ice’
“Once it gets to the point of law enforcement, the damage is already done. So we got together with the local council, schools, and businesses and formed D-Force, to work on preventing the harm in the first place.”
RMIT Handbury Foundation Award: For excellence, innovation and commitment to Fellowship-project Dforce, VIC, Australia
WHO
The D-Force program was first initiated by Kelly McNaughton alongside a group of concerned professionals, including Boojum Director Roland Maxwell, who all volunteered their time and energy to develop a learning program to educate and protect young people from methamphetamine.
At Boojum, we really get involved. As well as providing strategy, brand development, educational design, website design, security and construction skills to the project, we also presented successfully to potential sponsors, such as the Bendigo Bank, to help gather the funds to make the project happen.
NEED
The D-Force program's aim is to protect young people from the dire health and social effects of the drug "ice", or methamphetamine. It is an an innovative program educating young people to protect themselves and their friends.
SOLUTION
The initial program was co-designed and tested by secondary students in collaboration with educators and psychologists.
Learning materials and an online game were then developed for students in Years 7-9.
Teachers and students access the learning materials through the WordPress learning site. The learning materials are printable and copyable using google docs.
An online game, developed by Robot Circus in partnership with Boojum, engages students to work collaboratively to save their community from harm.
Pre-learning and post-learning surveys designed to give important data about the impact of the program on students:
“You can become addicted to ice after one use.” Survey statement (pre & post learning survey)
Pre-learning , 50% of students agreed with the statement.Post-learning, the number of students who agreed with the statement increased to 92.86%