Game On: accessible serious games for offenders and those at risk of offending

Abstract

The aim of the Game On project is to adapt and create highly engaging and motivating serious games to teach employment skills to prisoners, ex‐offenders and those at risk of offending (termed offenders). The target audience first trialled existing serious games with work‐based educational content to identify their limitations and to highlight gaps in provision. From this, a development plan evolved for the adaptation of these materials and the creation of new materials using 3D games mods' to teach induction information to prisoners in an accessible format. Games features include an ability to personalise educational content, locale detection for use in a variety of countries, accessibility features including signing tracks and closed captions and accompanying activities for a blended learning approach. Retrial of these serious games and games mods' with trainers and offenders found that they provided positive measures of engagement and effectiveness.

Citation

Brown, D., Shopland, N., Battersby, S., Tully, A. and Richardson, S. (2009), "Game On: accessible serious games for offenders and those at risk of offending", Journal of Assistive Technologies, Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 13-25. https://doi.org/10.1108/17549450200900012