As part of a course of Innovative PON PhD with industrial characterization in developmental and educational psychology at theUniversity of Calabria, between 2022 and 2024 an interdisciplinary intervention research took shape, which involved the research group in Psychology of Department of Cultures, Education and Society, led by the Prof. Angela Costabile, And ArtéMat;

the work of co-designing computer science and psychoeducational has led to the creation and preliminary experimentation of Pro Social Network, a Serious Game designed to promote pro-social skills among pre-adolescents in the school environment, with a focus onEducation on the use of social media and prevention of cyberbullying.

The aim of the prototype is to promote an innovative form of MediaEducation in Calabrian secondary schools and in Andalusian infant education centres in Spain. Serious Game It is part of a framework of efforts promoted by European governments, byWHO and from theUN, For promote psychological well-being in developmental age through learning the life skills at school.

Theoretical background

In preadolescence, Pro-social skills include empathy, cooperation, conflict management and effective communication. I am life skills crucial for the development of young people, as they help them build positive relationships, resolve conflicts constructively and participate actively in the school community, which represents a key context for social learning and character formation. The use of interventions based on Serious Game, like Pro Social Network, offers an innovative approach to achieve these goals.

THE Serious Game combine entertainment elements with educational purposes, creating an experience of Edutainment immersive and engaging. TheEdutainment integrates educational content with entertainment to make learning enjoyable and effective. In psychology, the use of Serious Game has been shown to be effective for engaging students and improving social skills.

Goals

  1. Education on the conscious use of social media for the prevention of cyberbullying.
  2. Promoting empathy and coping strategies for cyberbullying.
  3. Counteracting the mechanisms of moral disengagement.
  4. Improving pro-social skills in schools.

Development of Pro Social Network

The system, based on the platform Web InBasket®, represents an interface that allows users to interact with a storytelling through tree-structured decision-making moments. The system is designed to evaluate the performance based on some factors through decisions made by users, with a preliminary score scale associated with decision-making moments. The Web InBasket it's a Simulation of instant messaging apps, with specific screens for the different stages of the game.

Storytelling

Pro Social Network allows participants to experience scenarios associated with cyberbullying first-hand, in an immersive and interactive way. The game is accessible at a credential-protected URL, and exists in two versions: the first, complete, contains the entire storytelling, while the second presents the different game chapters designed. The plot presents imaginary characters and environments programmed to respond specifically to the protagonist's choices.

Interaction with the narrative: Users interact with virtual characters through avatars with simulated messages, which include situations that pre-teens might face online. In each situation, the decision moments proposed by the system translate into specific response options.

Intervention research design

The Serious Game is part of a evidence-based intervention research which includes a project presentation phase aimed at managers and teachers, a ad hoc self-report questionnaire for students, and five intervention sessions weekly, lasting one hour, in middle school classes.

International Expansion

In the context of the co-supervision of intervention research with the Laboratory of Studies on Convivencia and Prevention of Violence (LAECOVI) from the Faculty of Sciences of Education and Psychology, led by the Prof. Eva María Romera Félix, in the University of Cordoba, Pro Social Network It has been translated into Spanish and implemented in the Infant and primary education centres Spanish, as a cross-national replication and comparison work of the intervention research, in the period between spring and winter of 2023.

Impact and Future Prospects

The project represents an example of an interdisciplinary approach to create innovative and effective educational tools. The collaboration between psychologists and computer engineers has allowed the development of a Serious Game which not only educates, but also involves and stimulates pre-adolescents, preparing them to navigate the digital world with awareness and competence.

The feedback we have received from teachers and students has been extremely positive. We are working to further expand the project to include other schools and regions.