Community disaster preparedness is
essential because disasters can strike without any warning at any given moment,
especially in Indonesia.
For instance, Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta
recently emitted phreatic eruption, which was then followed by volcanic ash
that showered in some areas of the city as well as in the surrounding areas.
And although there were no victims of the disaster, it seemed that the
community knowledge pertaining to disaster preparedness needs more improvement.
According to the announcement
released by the Universitas
Gadjah Mada (UGM), an innovative and interactive educational
strategy related disaster mitigation solution was developed by its students.
The MitEdu Game makes use of 3D and augmented reality technology to present
disaster mitigation situations that players need to successful pass.
The game will educate children through the
use of technology during gameplay. 3 UGM students created the MitEdu Game,
namely, Ms Esya Rachma Ningrum (Geography 2017), Mr Faturahman Yudanto
(Informatics Engineering 2016), and Ms Setianing Wikanthi (Microbiology 2017).
Ms Esya Rachma Ningrum, the team leader, explained how their innovation is important in
teaching kids about mitigation. The aim of their game was to prevent and learn
about disasters.
As an innovative media for disaster
mitigation education, the players can virtually experience, at the eruption
level, the disaster through the game. Different situations will arise as the
users proceed to the next levels of the game.
There are four levels of potential natural
disasters in Yogyakarta than can be experienced through the MitEdu Game. These
natural disasters are volcanic eruption, earthquake, tsunami, and flood. The
game will teach the players how to prepare for a disaster, what to do during a
disaster, and how they will cope in the aftermath of the disaster through the
self-rescue concept of the game.
Ms Esya discussed that the game can be
played individually or in groups and makes use of a combination of technology
and books to educate the children.
Dr Dyah Rahmawati Hizbaron, S.Si., M.T.,
M.S., the mentor of the group, explained that the game has the potential to
become an interesting as well as an interactive media for educating children.
In order for the children to succeed while playing the game, they are required
to read books.
The advantage of the MitEdu Game is its
capacity to entice the children to read books, since it is required to pass
levels, an also be equipped with the knowledge and skills for disaster
mitigation at such a young age through the use of advanced technology.
