The project and the research question
Virivì and the Shadow of Rain (Virivì e l’ombra della pioggia) is a free-to-play educational video game, playable on smartphones, designed to complement traditional teaching on flood risk. Rather than replacing instruction, it serves as a tool to be integrated into a structured learning path.
The study tested its effectiveness within a university workshop for future primary school teachers, involving 168 participants divided into two comparable groups. The experimental group (98 people) engaged in a 90-minute session with Virivì, followed by guided reflection and discussion. The control group (70 people) followed only traditional educational activities. Both groups were assessed at the beginning and at the end of the workshop using the same instruments.
The question was specific: does the game bring about a measurable change? Not in self-reported concern, but in the concrete ability to assess risk.
in applied task pre→post
significant in applied task pre→post
| Evidence | Finding | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Comparable groups | No baseline difference: PFRS p=.400 · task p=.188 | Solid baseline |
| Applied metric | Risk estimation of a real building on official P0–P3 scale | Concrete assessment |
| Significant effect | Only the Virivì group improves significantly: p=.047 | Actionable evidence |
| Control group | Non-significant increase: p=.058 — strengthens game impact | Clean comparison |
| PFRS self-report | Non-significant in both groups — game targets applied ability, not fear | Measurement precision |
The evidence that matters
The most relevant result involves the applied task: participants were asked to estimate the flood risk of a real-building scenario using the official P0–P3 scale adopted by civil protection authorities.
Only the group that played Virivì shows a statistically significant improvement (p=.047). The control group records an increase, but it is not significant (p=.058). The two groups showed no difference at baseline, which makes the comparison robust.
Conversely, the self-report scale on perceived risk shows no significant variations in either group. This is not a limitation: it is a useful piece of data. Virivì acts on the ability to apply risk assessment concepts, not on generic anxiety.
An applied impact, ready for real-world training
The measured effect is not a generic increase in fear: it is the ability to estimate the flood risk of a real site using the official P0–P3 scale adopted by civil protection authorities. This provides precise data that can be leveraged before institutions, evaluation committees, and partners requiring concrete evidence. This positions Virivì as a tool for risk literacy, rather than a generic awareness-raising product.
The tested format consists of a ~90-minute session followed by guided reflection: a timeframe fully compatible with university workshops, thematic days, civic education modules, and climate or civil protection projects. Virivì does not require redesigning the curriculum: it amplifies content that has already been introduced, which is why its promise is credible for schools, universities, public bodies, and CSR projects.
