First steps towards an interactive real-time hazard management simulation

This paper reports on the construction and initial testing of a computer-based interactive flood hazard management simulation, designed for undergraduates taking an applied geomorphology course. Details of the authoring interface utilized to create the simulation are presented. Students act as the managers of civil defence utilities in a fictional town, and have to respond to changes in local conditions to prevent a flood disaster. An SMS messaging service presents the managers with real-time situation updates, and enables them to respond immediately. No significant difference is observed between the standard of student performance under these conditions of authentic assessment in the simulation and that attained in the other, more traditional, elements of assessment in the course. Future refinements intended to overcome identified weaknesses in the simulation are outlined.