New VR Lessons in QLD Could School Kids on How to Navigate Underage Drinking

Queensland Catholic high schools are trialing a new VR lesson to teach students the consequences of binge drinking.

It’s part of a project conducted by researchers at Griffith University called Blurred Lines. The VR game, Perfect Pour, allows the Year 10 students to virtually attend an ‘underage’ party where they decide how much they would like to drink.

The game simulates the effects of drunkenness, which is something that could obviously not be replicated with IRL drinks in the classroom.

Griffith University researcher Timo Dietrich told ABC’s Australia Plus that they were focusing on pre-loading (sometimes referred to “pre-drinking”).

“One of the decisions that they have to make is; do they actually want to choose a larger amount of drinking, and we highly discourage that through this adventure,” said Dietrich.

“So, what happens then [in the game] is that they actually pass out, so they don't even make it to the party.”

One of the first schools to take part in the trial is St Mary's Catholic College in Cairns. Their physical education teacher, Matt Rattray, told Australia Plus that VR was a more engaging way of teaching the content.

"Students are technologically savvy and they like to be doing things where they are engaging and anything where they're able to do, the learning always is amplified," he said.

You can test out some of the web-based versions of the games here.

Would you like to see VR technology introduced at your school? Is it a more exciting way to teach?

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