Serious gaming approach framework for construction hazards identification

Abstract

Construction-related workers are always exposed to occupational hazards ona construction site. Hence, safety training is inevitable to reduce the alarming rate ofaccidents on sites. However, due to the nature of construction environment which ishazardous and harmful current safety training is still lacks hands-on approaches.Training assisted by affordable technology such as serious game would be aneffective tool to improve learning and has become a new approach to trainingdelivery. It offers safer, interactive and entertaining learning environment for theconstruction-related workers. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop a seriousgame framework for hazard identification training module. To develop thisframework, the Garris‘s Input-Process-Outcome game model is adopted as thefoundation and five objectives are laid out. The first objective is to determine themost suitable instructional design method and the second objective is to determineserious game attributes to support the effective learning. Through content analysismethods, the findings show that there are 12 attributes of the serious game andGagne‘s Nine Events Instructional Methods Design is able to support an effectivelearning. The third objective is to understand user characteristics. Data wascollected from 319 construction-related workers using questionnaires and analysedusing mean comparison and ANOVA. Findings confirmed that they belong toindependent learners‘ category and inclined to ‗vigilant‘ and ‗brooding‘ types ofdecision-making style. These objectives become the basis for Input phases of theframework. The Gagne‘s instructional method also laid out the learning expectationfor Outcome phase i.e. skills, cognitive and affective learning. The fourth objectiveis to design the process of hazard identification. Through content analysis,Recognition-Primed Decision making model (RPD) is chosen and merged withhazard identification process and hierarchy of control to establish the Process phaseof the framework. All the findings are incorporated to achieve the fifth objectivewhich is to develop the serious game framework. The framework is validated bythree experts specialised in education, construction safety, and informationtechnology. They agreed that this framework would be able to enhance learning interm of skills, cognitive and affective learning. Finally, this serious game frameworkwill provide a safer, more affordable and interactive as well as entertaining forhazard identification training delivery in the construction industry.