Vstreet-G: A Web-Based Serious Game for Emancipating Youth on Life Skills

Vstreet-G：一款解放青少年生活技能的网络严肃游戏

• 批准号: 8309369
• 负责人: Bradley T. Klontz
• 金额: $ 45.31万
• 依托单位: NORTHWEST MEDIA, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-04-01 至 2015-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8309369
• 关键词: Accounting; Address; Affect; Age; Arts; Awareness; Basic Science; Caring; Child; Computer software; Databases; Dependence; Dependency; Development; Drug abuse; Education; Educational Curriculum; Educational process of instructing; Effectiveness; Empathy; Encapsulated; Environment; Evaluation Studies; Event; Failure to Thrive; Fright; Goals; Group Homes; Homelessness; Imprisonment; Independent Living; Instruction; Internet; Investments; Knowledge; Learning; Learning Disabilities; Life; Link; Maps; Medical; Mental disorders; Mentors; Modeling; Motivation; Occupations; Online Systems; Outcome; Paper; Phase; Play; Population; Prostitution; Public Health; Readiness; Reading; Recruitment Activity; Reporting; Research; Resistance; Resources; Rewards; Risk; Self Efficacy; Simulate; Site; Structure; System; Teenagers; Testing; Training; Visual; Writing; Youth; alternative treatment; anger management; base; care systems; court; design; disability; experience; foster care; grasp; high school; improved; instructor; interactive multimedia; interest; intervention program; juvenile justice system; literacy; meetings; phase 1 study; phase 2 study; programs; public health relevance; simulation; skills; skills training; therapy design; virtual; web site

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The aim of the project in Phase II is to develop and evaluate a stand-alone, Web-based serious game titled Vstreet-G, and to complete the interactive multimedia instruction on money management by adding a component on investment skills. Emancipation from dependence to living independently is one of the most challenging and feared life events for youth, especially those in care. Prior to emancipation, youth in supported living situations fail to grasp its impact and are not prepared to meet the enforced change. The Vstreet-G simulation game will help to prepare at-risk youth for emancipation by motivating them to learn and apply life skills in a Web-based environment specially adapted for this population that emphasizes applied learning experiences. In Phase I we produced two items: 1) a concept paper on the design and development of the Vstreet-G serious game and 2) the core interactive multimedia instructional component on money management, titled Money Medical: Healthy Money Management for the Web and as a CD. The proposed serious game will encapsulate and utilize the content of our previously developed and currently used Web site, Vstreet.com, which contains a rich variety of research-based curriculums and resources for teens on life skills. Vstreet-G will provide a simulated emancipation experience while encouraging youth to access the life skills materials on Vstreet.com to advance in the game. In the case of children in foster care, the federal Chafee Act requires that all whom the courts recognize as likely to emancipate directly from the care system be given life skills training beginning at age 14. Although legislators and educators recognize the critical need for this education, youth themselves do not, until they are on their own and their lives have started to unravel. The Vstreet-G game will 1) increase youth's awareness of the life skills they will need to prepare for taking this big step; 2) allow them to practice applying these skills in simulated living situations (without both the awareness and the opportunity to practice, emancipating youth are much more likely to fail in the real world); and 3) provide life skills educators with interactive materials that stimulate awareness about preparedness among youth who have a range of literacy levels and learning styles. The findings of the Phase I study showed that Money Medical was effective in improving youth's knowledge and confidence in managing their money. In the Phase II study, to be conducted with a minimum of 150 at-risk youth recruited from two sites, we will examine three basic research questions: 1) whether the Vstreet-G serious game increases aspects of users' motivation and readiness to change in ways that are relevant to their impending emancipation - including key components such as self-efficacy and empathy - compared to those who, using Vstreet.com, do not have the experience of the simulated environment; 2) whether the game environment of Vstreet-G is more effective at increasing users' money management skills than the existing Vstreet.com site; and 3) whether outcomes are differentially affected by the presence of self-identified disability. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: By playing the proposed Web-based serious game, at-risk youth who are typically resistant to traditional educational approaches, and who are in line to transition to independent living, will have an opportunity to practice the transition in a virtual world. As a result, many of these youth will be better prepared to emancipate successfully, thereby reducing their impact on such public health problems as homelessness, physical and mental illness, drug abuse, and prostitution. This project, by providing life skills awareness and training, will help increase the chances for the at-risk youth population to live life as healthy, independent, and productive citizens.

项目描述（由申请人提供）：第二阶段项目的目的是开发和评估一个名为Vstreet-G的独立的基于Web的严肃游戏，并通过添加投资技能的组件来完成关于资金管理的交互式多媒体教学。从依赖中解放出来，独立生活，是青年人，特别是受照料的青年人最具挑战性和最害怕的生活事件之一。在解放之前，生活在支助性生活环境中的青年未能理解解放的影响，也没有准备好迎接强制性的变革。Vstreet-G模拟策略类游戏将帮助处于危险中的青年为解放做好准备，激励他们在一个特别适合这一人群的网络环境中学习和应用生活技能，该环境强调应用学习经验。在第一阶段，我们制作了两个项目：1）关于Vstreet-G严肃游戏的设计和开发的概念文件; 2）关于资金管理的核心交互式多媒体教学组件，名为“金钱医疗：健康的资金管理”。拟议中的严肃游戏将封装和利用我们以前开发和目前使用的网站Vstreet.com的内容，该网站包含丰富的各种基于研究的指南和青少年生活技能资源。Vstreet-G将提供一个模拟的解放体验，同时鼓励年轻人访问Vstreet.com上的生活技能材料，以在游戏中取得进步。对于寄养儿童，联邦Chafee法规定，所有被法院认定有可能直接脱离寄养系统的儿童，从14岁开始接受生活技能培训。虽然立法者和教育工作者认识到这种教育的迫切需要，但青年人自己并不认识，直到他们独立，他们的生活开始解体。Vstreet-G游戏将：1）提高年轻人对生活技能的认识，他们需要为迈出这一大步做好准备; 2）让他们在模拟的生活环境中练习应用这些技能（如果既没有意识，也没有实践的机会，解放青年在真实的世界中更有可能失败）;以及3）向生活技能教育工作者提供互动材料，以激发具有各种文化水平和学习方式的青年对备灾的认识。第一阶段的研究结果显示，金钱医疗能有效地提高青少年管理金钱的知识和信心。在第二阶段的研究中，我们将从两个地点招募至少150名处于危险中的青少年，我们将研究三个基本的研究问题：1）与那些使用www.example.com的人相比，Vstreet-G严肃游戏是否增加了用户的动机和准备改变的方式，这些方式与他们即将到来的解放有关-包括自我效能和同情心等关键成分Vstreet.com。模拟环境的体验; 2）Vstreet-G的游戏环境是否比现有的Vstreet.com网站更有效地提高用户的资金管理技能;以及3）结果是否会受到自我识别残疾的影响。 公共卫生相关性：通过玩拟议的基于网络的严肃游戏，那些通常抵制传统教育方法的高危青年，以及那些正在向独立生活过渡的人，将有机会在虚拟世界中实践过渡。因此，这些青年中的许多人将更好地为成功地实现解放做好准备，从而减少他们对无家可归、身心疾病、吸毒和卖淫等公共卫生问题的影响。该项目通过提供生活技能认识和培训，将有助于增加风险青年人口作为健康、独立和有生产力的公民生活的机会。