In the StadtWasserFluss project, the teaching and research area of Engineering Hydrology at RWTH Aachen University, together with the IT Center and the Eifel-Rur Water Association, developed a concept in which students, those affected by heavy rain and those interested in heavy rain are introduced to the topic of heavy rain. The player assumes a management position in the office for heavy rain and flash floods of the city of Aachen and can take various measures in the course of the game to reduce the damage caused by heavy rain events.
Heavy rain is a phenomenon which, due to the climate, will occur more and more frequently in the future and cause damage. Due to the shift in rain events from evenly distributed amounts of rain throughout the year to longer periods of drought and heavier rain events, knowledge about protective measures must be built up, consolidated, expanded and disseminated more intensively in the future. The use of digital serious games or the gamification of learning elements promotes the intrinsic motivation of the learner and therefore enables a more intensive examination of the content and a deeper anchoring.
In StadtWasserFluss the player takes on the role of the heavy rain risk management officer for the city of Aachen. The player's supervisor officially instructs him in his duties. Then his colleague “Carl” provides hints and tips on what to do and supports him in the implementation of his tasks.
The game phases are divided into two phases. In the first phase of the game, the player has the opportunity to take long-term measures, such as To build green roofs in a district or to initiate the expansion of the sewage system. He has to manage the budget in an optimal way in order to achieve the best possible protection as cost-effectively as possible. A severe weather warning ends the first phase of the game and a heavy rain event follows. Now the player can take short-term measures, such as initiating road closures or distributing sandbags to the population.
The game is divided into three levels, the first of which serves as an introduction to the game. In the second level the player gets more powers. In the final level he is responsible for the entire city center of Aachen.
A central component of the game is the awareness of the population, which reflects how well the residents of Aachen are familiar with the subject of heavy rain. The higher this is, the more effectively measures are implemented. The player can repeatedly strengthen awareness for a short time, but must assume that this can also have a negative effect if there is no heavy rain. In addition, a knowledge check is implemented: If the player answers questions correctly, this increases the awareness of the population.
At the end of each level, the player receives feedback on implementation. If the player was able to protect the city of Aachen from heavy rain, he received a good rating. If, for example, he acted too late or used the available budget poorly, the rating is correspondingly ...
Heavy rain is a phenomenon which, due to the climate, will occur more and more frequently in the future and cause damage. Due to the shift in rain events from evenly distributed amounts of rain throughout the year to longer periods of drought and heavier rain events, knowledge about protective measures must be built up, consolidated, expanded and disseminated more intensively in the future. The use of digital serious games or the gamification of learning elements promotes the intrinsic motivation of the learner and therefore enables a more intensive examination of the content and a deeper anchoring.
In StadtWasserFluss the player takes on the role of the heavy rain risk management officer for the city of Aachen. The player's supervisor officially instructs him in his duties. Then his colleague “Carl” provides hints and tips on what to do and supports him in the implementation of his tasks.
The game phases are divided into two phases. In the first phase of the game, the player has the opportunity to take long-term measures, such as To build green roofs in a district or to initiate the expansion of the sewage system. He has to manage the budget in an optimal way in order to achieve the best possible protection as cost-effectively as possible. A severe weather warning ends the first phase of the game and a heavy rain event follows. Now the player can take short-term measures, such as initiating road closures or distributing sandbags to the population.
The game is divided into three levels, the first of which serves as an introduction to the game. In the second level the player gets more powers. In the final level he is responsible for the entire city center of Aachen.
A central component of the game is the awareness of the population, which reflects how well the residents of Aachen are familiar with the subject of heavy rain. The higher this is, the more effectively measures are implemented. The player can repeatedly strengthen awareness for a short time, but must assume that this can also have a negative effect if there is no heavy rain. In addition, a knowledge check is implemented: If the player answers questions correctly, this increases the awareness of the population.
At the end of each level, the player receives feedback on implementation. If the player was able to protect the city of Aachen from heavy rain, he received a good rating. If, for example, he acted too late or used the available budget poorly, the rating is correspondingly ...
Show More
