Development of Tsunami Disaster Risk Reduction Education Program for Children with No Experience of Earthquake Disaster – Practice and Verification at Shichigahama Town, Miyagi Prefecture

Abstract

In this study, we developed a tsunami disaster risk reduction (DRR) education program for children with little or no memory/experience of the Great East Japan Earthquake. The objective was to strengthen their disaster response capacity and enable them to think and act to protect their lives from tsunami disasters. The development of this program employed the ADDIE model of Instructional Design in learning theory. Based on the GIGA school concept promoted by Japan, information and communications technology (ICT)-based education and DRR education were integrated into the program from a geographical perspective. Using the ICT-based teaching materials, YOU@RISK Tsunami Disaster Edition, empirical learning was introduced. The town of Shichigahama in Miyagi Prefecture, which was devastated by the tsunami during the Great East Japan Earthquake, was selected as the study target. The study implemented and verified the program with local elementary school students to assess its effectiveness.