Prof. Melanie Killen
Professor of Human Development, and Professor of Psychology (Affiliate)
Associate Director, Center for Children, Relationships, and Culture
University Distinguished Scholar-Teacher for 2008-2009
College of Education
University of Maryland

The focus was on peer conflict and peer conflict resolutions and this is an area that I have conducted extensive research on over the past 2 decades. We developed the 52 conflict scenarios and the resolutions for each scenario that are options that children choose in the game. We also read the scripts for the game, the story boards, played demos, and helped draft the working concept paper for FMCS regarding publicity about the game. The producer, F.J. Lennon, and the animator, Dave Warhol, were extremely creative and stellar at translating our content into an engaging game for children.

Q - Why is software like this so important?

It’s important because not only does it provide educators with a developmentally appropriate tool to enable children to learn constructive and prosocial methods for resolving peer conflicts, it also provides children with the opportunity to play a video game that has positive goals, images, and messages while being fun and entertaining.

Q - Parents are growing increasingly concerned about incidents reported in the media – 10 year olds allegedly plotting to kill their teacher, etc. How can this software help?

This software is interactive and allows children to work through many typical conflicts that arise, giving them the opportunity to choose a resolution, see what happens, and learn about the basic building blocks of social interaction. So, for example, children watch a conflict unfold and then the action freezes. The narrator asks the player to pick one of 4 resolutions, including ones that involve compromising, and others that involve threats. The action then continues and children watch what happens based on the strategy that they chose.

From this they learn how it is that threats often escalate conflicts whereas a compromise often resolves and ends the conflict. Negotiation, empathy, and compromising are foundational skills necessary for social development. Ideally, these are skills that teachers should be spending a lot of time on in the classroom but unfortunately, teachers have so many pressures in other areas that talking about social skills often gets cut out. Minimally, this game provides a focus for talking about social skills, and may help alert educators, and parents to children who are at risk for negative outcomes.

Q - What’s next?

We hope that this game raises the bar on the type of content that parents can expect to be in the games that their children play. Too often, parents are closing their eyes to the content that their children are engaged in when playing games. Right now there is a movement in the video game industry to create more games that have positive content and this is a welcoming sign although there are many areas within the industry that continue to heavily market violent, aggressive, and negative games to children. We would like to do everything that we can to promote the awareness of the content of games, and to provide educators and parents with alternatives for their children that are not offensive but fun, entertaining, and educational.

Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
See a Cool School Video
Download Cool School (Mac/PC)

Prof. Killen's Home Page
Melanie Killen Named Distiguished Scholar-Teacher for 2008-2009
Parents Must Help Balance Video Game Use

University of Maryland Education Experts by Subject