Game On: Know Alcohol (GO:KA)

Australia has a drinking problem that costs the Australian community and consequences for society that include alcohol-related violence and risk of harm. In 2010 the Queensland Law and Justice Safety Committee (2010) recommended mandatory, ongoing education on the health impacts of alcohol be provided in all Queensland Schools. This project is a response to this recommendation.

GO:KA (Game on: Know Alcohol) was an innovative social marketing education intervention in Queensland Catholic Education Schools offering a novel approach to alcohol education targeting binge drinking among teens aged 14-16. The program consisted of a set of online and off-line activities and learning modules that simulated the effects of drinking and provided strategies for moderate drinking. Specifically Risky Ride (later named Dumb Driver), and Perfect Pour. The intervention involved alternating game-based modules with knowledge-based modules using the feel-do-learn learning hierarchy as a design principle.

This project included a pilot program conducted with three Brisbane high-schools and a main program which involved thirteen high-schools throughout Queensland.  The main study was a comprehensive randomised control trial with pre and post data collected for seven program (942 students) and five control schools (578 students). Significant improvements in alcohol knowledge, attitudes and binge drinking intention were observed for adolescents who participated in GO:KA compared to the control group.

Given considerable external competition from messages promoting the benefits of alcohol use, a one-off program that modifies incorrect knowledge and alters perceptions of binge drinking as a fun, recreational activity represents an important step towards responsible drinking behaviour.

Guiding Theory:

• Emotional Learning Hierarchy (Feel, Learn, Do)
  • To learn more about this theory, click HERE.