ENGAGING 6-12 YEAR OLDS IN CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY

Level-UP! was commissioned as both a television programme and a website for children between the ages of 6 and 12. As a 360-degree broadcast/web experience, the website needed to drive visitors to the show and vice versa – the objective being for the site to encourage these interactions through features such as games, community interaction and user-generated content. These were all aimed at an audience for whom online privacy and safety are paramount.

To ensure that the site delivered on its remit of encouraging good citizenship, all games were built around civic responsibility. Players were rewarded for being community-minded and helping others, unlike the more traditional destructive approach of many games aimed at younger audiences.

INCENTIVISING BEHAVIOUR CHANGE

To achieve and incentivise this direct behaviour change, the site and television programme were developed concurrently. Viewers of the television programme were encouraged to take part in online activities, with a selection of engaging tools acting as the conduit for the interaction between the show and site. Children could vote on current issues and help others solve everyday problems by supporting each other with helpful advice and tips. This ensured an important, and practical synergy between the two formats that was key to guaranteeing the success of both.

Key to personalisation at the site was an avatar builder within a virtual PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). Each child was able to customise these to suit their personality and then use the PDA to keep track of their activities and friends. To encourage repeat visits and interaction, players earned points for activities which could be used to purchase a range of items to customise their avatar and PDA. Integration with BBC systems ensured that all progress was saved, so children could pick up where they left off on their next visit.

INTEGRATING SYSTEMS

The Level-UP! site quickly became one of the most successful sites at the BBC to make use of their Single Sign-On system, far surpassing the numbers set by other SSO sites. Over the 13 week run the show was broadcast, the site achieved over half a million registered users between 6-13 years of age.