Katuku Island encompasses the fun of gaming while promoting cultural elements to push the learner, Dr Callaghan says.
“The virtual world of Katuku Island is aligned to a matauranga Maori and indigenous framework, which shapes tribal avatars, backdrops, creatures, symbols, sound and music to optimise the gaming, cultural, motivational and educational components for the learner.”
Dr Callaghan and Craig initially developed a textbook called 16-year-old Maori Boy to support Maori youth at school and in the justice system. The concept evolved and morphed into development of a 3D indigenous game that supports educational development in literacy.
Students with minimal education can get a second chance at learning, Dr Callaghan says.
“They were able to master cultural talents, which came naturally to them, such as toi (art) or whakairo (carving).”
Katuku Island has a real-time assessment tool to identify areas the player shows mastery and resilience in. This helps them turn negative experiences into positives and they are encouraged to advance.
“The tool also measures ‘culture' from a tech platform, which showcases how culture can increase resilience when used in gaming.”
All artists and graphic designers who have worked on the design of the characters and visuals for Katuku Island have been involved in Gisborne Boys' High School's award-winning whakairo programme that Craig developed.
“That (whakairo) shed sheltered a lot of lost young men and kept us safe so it is a huge honour and privilege to be part of a project like Katuku Island,” former student Eru Brown says.
The July 22 launch will be livestreamed on the Katuku Island Facebook page.
