Developing an alcohol and other drug serious game for adolescents: Considerations for improving student engagement

Authors/Creators

Joanna Nicholas, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Brennen Mills, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Sara Hansen, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Stephen J. Bright, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Heather Boyd, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Luke Brook, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Jess Watson, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Luke Hopper, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow

Abstract

Objectives: To explore perceptions of alcohol and other drug (AOD) education and digital game design preferences among Australian adolescents with the goal of identifying key factors to promote engagement in an AOD serious game for Australian secondary school students. Methods: Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 36 adolescents aged between 13 and 18 years. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Participants described heightened engagement with AOD education that incorporated relatable and relevant real-life stories and interactive discussions. They also expressed a desire for learning to focus on practical strategies to reduce AOD harm and overcome social pressure to use AOD. Participants highlighted the importance of incorporating relatable characters and context-relevant scenarios in promoting engagement, and identified social elements, player choice, and optimal challenge as important game design considerations. Conclusions: A focus on meaningful realistic scenarios, relatable characters, relevant information and practical skills may promote high school aged students’ engagement with AOD educational content. Game designs incorporating social elements and decision-making opportunities may be conducive to promoting engagement and enhancing learning. Implications for public health: Findings from this study can be used by researchers and game designers for the development of future AOD serious games targeted at Australian adolescents.

RAS ID

45258

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

10-1-2022

Volume

46

Issue

5

Funding Information

Sideffect Australia

PubMed ID

35924894

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences / Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Publisher

Wiley

Comments

Nicholas, J., Mills, B., Hansen, S., Bright, S. J., Boyd, H., Brook, L., ... & Hopper, L. (2022). Developing an alcohol and other drug serious game for adolescents: Considerations for improving student engagement. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 46(5), 682-688. https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13287

Recommended Citation

Nicholas, J., Mills, B., Hansen, S., Bright, S. J., Boyd, H., Brook, L., Watson, J., & Hopper, L. (2022). Developing an alcohol and other drug serious game for adolescents: Considerations for improving student engagement. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13287