Effective flood management to enhance urban and community resilience is important, but integrating technical and social elements of flood management can be challenging. In this study, we used a serious game to explore whether the approach could effectively reinforce and expand declarative knowledge regarding principles of flood management within a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students, water resource professionals, and residential community members in Thailand and Malaysia. Serious games seek to integrate the learning aspect of content in an entertaining approach to better engage participants. In conducting our study, we used the online UNDRR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction) Stop Disasters game. Through observation during game application and a post-game assessment survey (n = 35), we conclude that despite the diversity of participant backgrounds and ages, the large majority clearly enjoyed the game and the lively interactions with other participants. The game reinforced and expanded elements of participant declarative knowledge both in addressing challenges and opportunities for flood management, but also in critically assessing and recommending improvements for the game. The game produced a sense of inspiration, accomplishment, engagement, connectivity, enjoyment, and satisfaction in the participants. The study provides support for the value of using a serious game approach with diverse stakeholder groups in delivering a richer, more motivating opportunity to discuss, explore, and evaluate elements of flood management to enhance community resilience.
Irvine et al. (Thu,) studied this question.