Gamifying water safety with Life Saving Victoria

Back in 2021, Life Saving Victoria (LSV), in partnership with Inspire Group and supported by the Victorian Government, created a learning solution, Swim City, to address gaps in water safety knowledge caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had prevented children from attending traditional swimming lessons. The programme provides an interactive learning experience that teaches children how to identify and respond to water hazards in real-world environments.

The challenge for Inspire Group and LSV was to help reverse the upward trend in drowning deaths through the use of online learning.

"In 2020/21, there were 61 drowning deaths in Victoria: a 40% increase on the 10-year average. Children aged 0–14 also made up 25% of all drowning deaths that year: a 90% increase in drowning deaths in private or home swimming pools and a 61% increase in bathtubs compared to the 10-year average." 

The drowning statistics were what prompted LSV to seek the learning expertise of Inspire Group to design and develop Swim City. There was an urgent need for an alternative learning tool that could be used at home or in classrooms, ensuring children could still acquire essential water safety knowledge despite the disruption by COVID-19 lockdowns to in-person swimming lessons. 

Inspire Group lead learning designer AJ Grove said, “We wanted to create a programme that reflects our commitment to learning that is life-changing, and there is nothing more meaningful than learning that can actually save lives! We were excited to push traditional digital learning boundaries while making water safety education easy, engaging and enjoyable for children of all ages.”

Swim City was the first game to focus on teaching children how to identify and respond to water hazards in various environments, making it unique in its approach and content. What set it apart from previous water safety games was the fact that Swim City prioritised prevention, rather than just emergency response and first aid.

It was important to create a learning experience that was interactive and appealing to children, which led the team to use gamification strategies such as progressive levels, character-based storytelling and a rewards system.

Swim City is structured, based on student feedback and drowning data, around multiple environments where water dangers are present, including homes, beaches, rivers and creeks and farms. Swim City teaches children how to recognise and respond to potential dangers in real-life aquatic environments.

The Inspire Group team incorporated a level-based progression system where learners are rewarded with stars and badges for successfully completing tasks. This gamified approach reinforces learning and motivates students to engage with the content, meaning complex lessons that might take 20–40 minutes in class can be taught in a single line, with a strong visual and a fun activity.

Several difficulty levels are incorporated at each location so users unlock new content as they show mastery of water-safety concepts. This creates a sense of achievement and motivation to progress. The game’s use of familiar settings and intuitive controls increased engagement and knowledge retention among students.

Character-based interaction, and visual and auditory cues: the game features engaging characters, including sea creatures, which guide students through scenarios. The relatable and visually appealing characters make learning more interactive and less intimidating for younger participants. The game uses colourful graphics, sound effects and voiceovers to engage multiple learning styles.

Goal-oriented play, competition and motivation: the game sets clear objectives, such as identifying hazards or choosing the safest course of action. Students are motivated to meet these goals to advance to higher levels and earn more rewards. The game’s scoring system encourages friendly competition among students. Teachers reported that students were highly motivated to outperform their peers and achieve the highest number of stars.

Exploration, choice and immediate feedback: students can navigate different aquatic environments and choose which areas to explore, fostering a sense of autonomy and independence. This flexibility encourages students to engage with the content on their own terms. When students make a correct or incorrect decision, they receive immediate feedback, helping them adjust their approach and reinforcing correct behaviours. This supports active learning and allows students to see the impact of their choices in real time.

Blending technology with education: a cluster-randomised design was used to measure improvements in knowledge and motivation, showing that gamification can be highly effective for learning complex safety messages​.

The impact of Swim City on Life Saving Victoria has been substantial. It has become a key component of LSV's educational offerings, with its browser-based platform eliminating barriers related to technology and infrastructure. It’s also playable on a web browser, so kids in schools who don’t have iPads or phones can still play​. This has also ensured schools in rural and under-resourced areas can participate without needing specialised equipment or apps.

Impact on learning and behaviour: feedback from students and teachers showed that the game improved water safety knowledge and motivation. Teachers noted that students were more engaged compared to traditional swimming lessons and that the game’s format helped reinforce classroom learning.

Improve water safety knowledge: the programme’s goal was to increase children’s understanding of water-safety behaviours and environmental risks which was achieved, with 97% of participants reporting increased knowledge of water safety after completing the programme​.

Enhance student engagement: Inspire helped LSV create an engaging learning experience that maintained student attention and motivation with 90% of participants stating they were engaged throughout the programme​. 

Support teachers and integrate with school curriculum: LSV aimed to make Swim City easy for teachers to adopt and integrate into classroom learning and its alignment with the Victorian curriculum strengthened its impact within schools. LSV worked with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) to ensure that Swim City fulfilled the requirements for the Victorian Water Safety Certificate.

Deliver long-term value and adaptability: Swim City is designed to be a sustainable and expandable programme. Feedback from students and teachers is being used to develop two new environments, Oceans and Coastlines. In future, new levels and environments will be added, including scenarios based on boating activities.