University Of Maryland Researcher Develops Game To Help Kids Quell Disputes
In the video game world, Grand Theft Auto IV has been getting lots of sales and press. But in the county’s backyard there’s a homegrown game that’s just as important and will hopefully have as much impact.
Cool School: Where Peace Rules is the total opposite of the violence and crime driven Grand Theft Auto. The game was created to give students in grades K to 12 the tools needed to resolve conflicts peacefully.
Dr. Melanie Killen
Photo: education.umd.edu
Created by the University of Maryland’s (College Park) Melanie Killen, the game gives students practical advice on how to end disputes without becoming argumentative.
“I was brought in as a developmental psychology consultant to create the conflict scenarios and conflict resolution options in the video game as well as to provide feedback about the developmentally appropriate nature of the text, the game, and the characters,” said Killen, a professor of human development at the university.
Killen was assisted by then-doctoral student Nancy Margie and interactive gaming veteran F.J. Lennon and his animator Dave Warhol.
Killen was urged to participate in the project by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The agency has a federal mandate through its youth initiative to combat school violence and bullying by teaching conflict resolution skills in at-risk schools.
The video is described as a “whimsical, interactive game designed to teach children about conflict resolution in a lively, fun, entertaining, and developmentally appropriate context."
In the reality of the game, everything is alive - the erasers, desks, books and basketballs. The player gets to experiment with different solutions to the conflicts, eventually progressing through 10 levels and 52 different scenarios. The game’s been tested in Illinois schools and has received good reviews by teachers, parents and students.
--PGS Staff
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