GAMING TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM FOR SOCIAL REINTEGRATION OF MARGINALISED YOUTH - REPLAY PROJECT - COLLABORATIVE PROJECT (STREP) FOUNDED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

The aim of project REPLAY is to develop a gaming technology platform to provide young people who have become marginalised in society as a result of anti social behaviour with a learning environment to facilitate their reintegration into society. Although scalable to a range of marginalised groups such as immigrants, children with learning disabilities, retirees etc, REPLAY will focus on the education and reeducation of young people whose behaviour might be a problem for the communities in which they live.

The project is funded by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme. It is a collaboration between seven partners in Spain, Romania and the UK. The coordinating partner is Brainstorm Multimedia, a technology company based in Valencia. Brainstorm will lead the game development phase of the project. Innovatec, an SME based in Alicante, will provide further input into the game technology platform. AIJU, a toy research institute also based in Alicante, will offer feedback throughout the process on the efficacy of the game. Alexander John Cuza University is the oldest academic institution in Romania: the Centre for Applied Research in Education will be participating in all phases of work. White Loop, a London based consultancy, will have particular focus on measuring the social and organisational impact of the game. Alongside three 'testbeds': in Romania, Rotalent, an NGO involved in exploring how giftedness affects behaviour and marginalisation; in Spain, the El Cerezo Day Centre, a facility whose main objective is to help reintegrate troubled young people back into society through actively encouraging the development of social capabilities and values; and Woolwhich Polytechnic School in UK participating as a volunteer organisation

Interactive gaming technology is hugely popular amongst young people today.
The vision of REPLAY is to use this technology as a means of motivating young people into a better awareness of how and why they behave the way they do and encourage them to take greater responsibility for the consequences of their decisions and behaviour.

Project REPLAY will use video game technology to provide young people who have become marginalised as a result of anti-social behaviour with an interactive learning environment.

The REPLAY game will not, in itself, be a therapy. Rather the technology will provide the teacher/professional charged with monitoring and assisting their rehabilitation with a useful tool through which the rehabilitation process can be assessed and managed more effectively.

The REPLAY game will focus on creating a highly interactive and engaging environment within which players react to their surroundings, face dilemmas and make moral choices.

The game content will consider four specific areas of life that impact on young people: family/home, peers/friends, school and entertainment/hobbies. Each of these areas will be represented as a segway course, which the player must travel. During the course of their 'run' players will come into contact with various words, phrases, images, videos, icons and dilemmas. Their choices will dictate their direction and speed of travel.

At the end of each run, the teacher/professional will receive a brief report on the choices made and, from that, will be able to understand particular attitudes, values and beliefs the player holds. This can be a starting point for further discussion.

More Information: www.replayproject.eu