A new website launched today will make learning about safety as much fun as playing games!
The virtual Crucial Crew website, developed by interactive media experts Crucial Interactive Media, is designed to teach schoolchildren life-saving safety messages in a fun, online environment.
"Learning through play is nothing new", said James Houston of Crucial Interactive Media, who has led the innovative educational project, "but we've built something here which kids will have great fun using and it could just save someones life.
Its great to put the skills we have and the potential of the internet to such good use," he added.
The project involved building a 'virtual house' which schoolchildren can navigate online, encounter various disasters such as fires or gas leaks, and react accordingly. The virtual house application is designed to replicate York's Crucial Crew workshops run by the Safer York Partnership where hundreds of 10 and 11 years olds take part every year in role play situations to teach them how to deal with everyday situations.
"Having managed the York Crucial Crew for six years, I know how kids react and how they interpret the situations they are faced with," said PC Jon Palmer, Youth Action Officer with Safer York Partnership.
"My role in this project is to share my experiences with the technical experts to recreate the drama of the real thing and drive those safety messages home."
Outside the virtual house there's a road traffic accident, where kids learn how to deal with an injured cyclist, use basic first aid, and make the essential 999 call.
Next door there's a burglary in a corner shop, and kids have to learn how to deal with the incident and create a virtual photo-fit of the thief.
Inside, each room contains some kind of a disaster or danger. Kids can move around the house, zoom in and out, and click on hotspots such as doors, telephones, or fire extinguishers.
"The graphics combine a combination of photography and animation, and the design uses a fun style with music and computer-game style graphics, while creating a serious educational environment", explained Howard Lawton, Crucial Interactive Media's senior developer on the project.
Theres an interactive quiz in the style of a computer game. Quiz participants need to repeat questions until they get the answers right, so learning the correct answers to key questions.
See www.crucial-crew.org
