Development of a multilingual educational platform for cross-nation real-time distant interaction in youth disaster preparedness between Indonesia and Japan

The increasing prevalence and cross-national nature of disasters means countries have much to learn from each other in terms of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). However, cross-nation mutual learning are often hindered by distance and language barriers. Japan and Indonesia, as countries with significant similarities and differences in terms of disaster profile, socioeconomic and cultural conditions, embody both the potentials and barriers for mutual learning. To help surmount these barriers, this paper describes the project plan to develop a multilingual educational platform for cross-nation, real-time distant interaction in youth disaster preparedness between Indonesia and Japan. The platform is designed for both mobile and web-based applications, with interfaces in Indonesian, English and Japanese to facilitate language barriers. The design consists of three main elements. First, an interactive assessment module is used to measure knowledge and preparedness. Second, a series of multimedia eLearning modules allow participants to increase their knowledge and capacity in DRR. Finally, a set of gamified educational materials is developed to allow an immersive and collaborative learning experience. To facilitate mutual learning across countries, this module includes an online multiplayer serious game where participants from different countries work together in various disaster simulation scenarios, utilizing skills they learnt from the eLearning modules. The use and implementation of this platform is hoped to increase local DRR capacities and awareness, grow networks of mutual learning among youth in Indonesia and Japan, and add to creative methods for DRR education. Evaluation will also increase knowledge regarding similarities, differences, and potential synergies in DRR across local and cross national levels in Indonesia and Japan.