Culturally Sensitive Computer Support for Creative Co-authorship of a Sex Education Game

Abstract : We describe a computer-supported game authoring system for educators to co-author a game to help teaching sensitive content, specifically sex education. Our approach provides educators the ability to co-author the game to tailor it to the class based on a computer-supported interface that draws upon a large, cultural database. By targeting the game to the culture of the students, they feel their values, beliefs and vocabulary are being considered in the game, providing better comprehension of the content, leading to stronger learning engagement that is helpful for highly charged, sometimes uncomfortable and sensitive material such as sex. We studied our design in the classroom and observed that giving educators co-authorship of the game helps them adopt using online games.