Islamabad: As the world continues to wage the coronavirus pandemic, the risk of rumors and incorrect information is contagious.
To break the virus spread and disinformation chain, two Pakistani teenagers have developed an innovative, factual and fun way to be informed and stay safe from the pandemic. Kenan Khan, 13, and his brother Nabhan Khan, 14, have designed and developed a video game called “Stop the Spread” to help everyone perceive World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, such as social distance, hand washing and dressing in a mask. can help save lives.
The game, first released in April and updated with the latest original information, is the world’s first cross-platform video game on COVID-19.
Kenan said they started running on the video game after learning that it was difficult for other people not to forget all the basics about the virus on social media, television and radio. “We need to design and expand a game that helps young people and adults stay informed through exercise so that it becomes a habit of seamlessly adapting to the new normal,” Kenan told Gulf News. He said those activities and games can influence other people’s movements in the real world.
But is this the most effective way to learn? Yes, because that’s how the developer duo learned. The brothers never had a formal education and liked self-learning from data available on the Internet and online courses. “From fundamental literacy to arithmetic, from coding to design, animation and design thinking, we learned everything in a self-organized learning mode,” Nabhan said.
When the coronavirus pandemic forced others to stay indoors and caused a sudden change to online information, the two brothers took this opportunity to prepare and protect others. The young Pakistanis developed the game in a month to help others in difficulty follow fitness guidelines, break COVID myths and be informed of key facts through recurrent in-game reminders.
The loose game has six multiple degrees. The first 4 degrees are sets of questions about the facts and myths of coronavirus, symptoms, coverage and prevention, as well as a detailed handwashing module. The fifth point is only unlocked after completing the previous grades. This point is the ultimate attraction where the player will have to stick to orders such as avoiding handshakes, practicing hand washing and disinfection, as well as practicing social estrangement with other unmasked people to advance to the next point: an endless arcade game in which the player will have to eliminate viruses from the world.
Pakistan’s Ghost Children initiative gives young people the opportunity to be informed in a fun way while staying home. “I’ve been informed of many new facts and the right way to wash my hands by playing ‘Stop the Spread’, however, my favorite component is to kill germs,” said Haaris Usman, 8, laughing. His parents described the game as an “effective and entertaining” way to be informed.
“I am incredibly inspired by the efforts of young Nabhan and Kenan, who are examples of motivation and inspiration for many young people in the Gulf region, South Asia and around the world,” said Mohammad Waseem, a board member of Gulf Education Services and a former head of progression at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai. “Digital skills, coding, innovation and experiential learning are what we want to teach our young people,” Waseem insisted.
Interestingly, the progression of the game is not the duo’s only achievement, as they have encouraged and trained many young people in other countries, adding the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Singapore, as well as Pakistan. “The young phantom duo played a key role in driving MIT’s first-day scratch in Malaysia, as well as in the workshops on coding, design, hosting and game development that they organized from 2014 to 2016 to help the Digital Malaysia mission,” Imran Kunalan said. a former director. Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDeC). Kunalan said he was proud to have collaborated with other exceptionally talented people in Pakistan such as Kenan, Nabhan and their parents.
With their technological skill and dynamism, Nabhan and Kenan are willing to contribute to the vision of virtual Pakistan by encouraging and preparing the younger generation for the virtual future. “We are delighted to have presented this flexible game to the company and, based on feedback from around the world, we are able to do more for a virtually wise society,” Nabhan said.
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