Road safety package a hit with high school students

Dec 07, 2004

“Lots of fun”. “Like a computer game but cooler”. “Really makes you think”.

This was some of the feedback from a group of Year 7 Corrimal High students who today (Tuesday 7 December) trialled the first comprehensive road safety education resource in NSW developed by the University of Wollongong's emlab (educational media laboratory) for the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA).

'Road Risks - Your Choice' is designed to help high school students think more about safer behaviour on the road, particularly using skateboards, travelling in cars and as pedestrians. It is based on key messages about identifying and reducing risk, making safe decisions and being proactive about personal safety in the road environment.

The package contains interactive CD-ROMs, video and activities which all link to the mandatory Personal Development, Health and Physical Education Syllabus for years 7-10.

Emlab Director, Mr Rob Wright, said it all started when the RTA conducted research into the key messages they needed to get across to Year 7 and 8 students and then called for tenders to design and produce the teaching resource.

“We won the tender with our initial concept design and then produced each of the resource elements which included work with Relativity, a local film production company, to produce the video elements,” he said.

“The CD-ROM interactive activities and Teaching Ideas Resource Book were developed by emlab designers and the resource was then fine-tuned with information gained during testing. We received feedback from a wide selection of curriculum managers, teachers and students.”

Dr Gregg Rowland, a Senior Lecturer in UOW's Faculty of Education, was involved in the writing and production of the package and said it was designed to look at all the elements of risk -- human, vehicle and environmental factors.

“We wanted students to be informed while having fun, so we tried to make it as flexible, modern and relevant as possible,” Dr Rowland said.

“The video scenarios are all filmed around the Illawarra and the students have already picked up on this. The package is very interactive and really stimulates thought.”

Vanessa Glasgow, a PDHPE teacher at Corrimal High, attended the training course for the road safety package and will be responsible for implementing it at Corrimal High School. She said that the student response today was fantastic.

“Young people love computers and this package is really fun. It's not your typical English or US version -- it's tailored specifically for Australian high school students and the graphics are contemporary and relevant,” she said.

“The great thing is it's flexible. Teachers can choose the best activities to suit the needs of their students.”

She said the package works on numeracy and literacy skills, tests knowledge and encourages the students to explore realistic road safety options.

“I brought them in here to trial it this morning and now I can't drag them away!” she laughed. “It just proves that the students relate to it and find it fun, as well as informative.”

Year 7 student, Emily Willis, was particularly happy with the computer activities.

“I love the activity called 'Safety Jeopardy',” she said. “It's just like the TV show and you can play it with other people. I also like “Safety on Wheels” because it's about rollerblading, which I love.”

The road safety package will be incorporated into the new PDHPE syllabus being implemented throughout all NSW high schools next year.

The resource has also been entered into the Australian Society for Computers in Tertiary Education Awards, with winners being announced at a conference in Perth later this week.

-RP