Playing with Reconciliation: Engaging Primary School Students with the Values of Reconciliation Using a Video Game

Abstract

The use of games in educational contexts is not new [see 22, 12, 10, 17, 8, 11, 6]. However, the exploration of evoking the values of reconciliation through a 3D interactive game for primary students is novel. This short paper outlines a recent video game development that explores notions of reconciliation in the context of a shared culture between non-Indigenous and Indigenous peoples of colonised lands. The game is designed to address the key concepts of reconciliation that is, trust, empathy and collaboration. Evaluation of 29 school-aged children suggests there is much efficacy in this approach. The study forms the basis for ongoing collaborative research with national education authorities to include the game in the national curriculum. The framework developed will be transferable to other contexts and countries facing similar issues.