The #CovConnects Team are working with DaLi, Data Literacy for Citizenship, to trial a fun, educational board game themed around online safety.
In this blog post, #CovConnects officer Ramona shares her thoughts on how this board game can be an excellent tool to help people become more digitally literate!
Growing up alongside technology
Growing up in the mid 2000s, I can clearly remember where my love for technology began. Digital technology was (and still is) my main form of escapism, especially during my childhood and teenage years. Over the years the digital world has been effortlessly merged with our everyday lives.
An analogue upbringing
However, this is not true for everyone. Many people didn’t have that PC in the corner of their living room and they didn’t have an opportunity to use digital devices. People who aren’t confident in their digital skills deserve to know how to safely interact with the world that’s contained within their devices.
Enter the board game
In my first week as a Digital Inclusion apprentice, I was introduced to the digital literacy board game. The game is themed around helping people become more ‘digitally literate’ by teaching them about online safety whilst they roll the dice and betray their peers!
Later in my first week, I acted as a game guide for people training to become ‘Digital Champions.’ Digital Champions act as pillars of support at our #CovConnects digital drop-in sessions. They help people who want to learn more about digital technology.
It was lovely to see people who hardly knew each other have such a great time whilst learning more about online safety.
How can it help?
From experiencing the digital literacy board game as both a guide and a player, I can really see how this gamified version of teaching online safety can make a difference to people who aren’t confident in their digital skills.
During the game as players progress, they will pick up both action and event cards that teach the players about cyber security. Objectively speaking, people who aren’t knowledgeable about online safety are more likely to fall victim to scams, this is why it’s important to provide a simple, interactive way to ease people into learning about digital.
A digital stepping stone
I think that this digital literacy board game serves as a great stepping stone for people who feel intimidated by the digital world.
For those struggling with digital skills, this board game can act as a conversation starter and that is what’s important.
Playing this board game will hopefully inspire people to get out there and learn more about digital. The beauty of it is people can choose to learn in a way that best suits them, a simple roll of the dice could be the start of making a difference to how people view.
#CovConnects and DaLi are still looking to test the board game and we are actively seeking more feedback from the residents of Coventry. If you or your team would like to learn more about how to get involved, you can email: covconnectsdigital@coventry.gov.uk
To learn more about the makers of the board game you can visit their website or tweet #dali_eu
Find out more about online safety, including how to spot scams, by visiting our Staying safe online webpages.
The first thing you should do if you’ve been a victim of scam is to contact Action Fraud. You can report a fraud via their online fraud reporting tool, or by calling Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.