Can immersive, playful experiences allow us to understand embodiment in Sex and Relationships Education?

This project explores the co-design of immersive, playful experiences with sexual health stakeholders and whether this can give us insights into developing meaningful interventions within sexual health and sex and relationships education (SRE). Taking an action research approach, this project works alongside several sexual health stakeholders within the North East who use some level of immersive or playful methods in their provision and looks at how digital media tools can help to support and enhance their practice. In this way, this project aims to discover whether embodied, playful methods of delivering SRE provision can aid in delivering effective practice and whether this can give us any insights into the nature of bodily experience and understanding in sexual health education.

Key Aims and Objectives

Within sexual health promotion, there is a move away from an individual model of behaviour change to one that takes an ecological approach - one that works collectively across social, educational and legal levels [1]. At the same time, there is a move to develop provision of Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) which is due to become compulsory within the UK from 2020 [2]. SRE is often seen to be lacking in the way it handles certain topics such as healthy relationships and how it is taught - often employing didactic, knowledge-based methods [3]. In this way, there is a move within SRE towards more dialogic methods which focus on conversation and which explore real-life situations and relationships. This provides a fitting context for exploring the provision and delivery of SRE.

At the same time, the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is increasingly looking into how we can create meaningful immersive experiences using technologies embedded into the environment and how these can be understood and applied in different contexts. This research will consider how these can be designed alongside stakeholders and will aim to explore bodily experience within these contexts.

Given this, the primary research question for this project is "Can immersive, playful experiences allow us to understand embodiment in Sex and Relationships Education?"

Methodology

We will be taking an action research approach - working alongside several charities and public sector organisations within the North East to design immersive technologies. These groups have already reported success with their methods but have expressed a desire to improve them. Action research will allow us to work within their current practice in order to improve their provision and conduct research in a way that aims to be collaborative and democratic. We will conduct workshops with stakeholders and develop research through various deployments.

Novel Content of this Research

This research provides a unique insight into how immersive technologies can have an impact on education within healthcare and sensitive contexts. It will explore notions around embodied interaction, HCI, and the use of technologies for supporting healthcare within the community.

Bibliography


1. Daniel Stokols. 1992. Establishing and maintaining healthy environments: Toward a social ocology of health promotion. American Psychologist 47, 1: 6-22.
2. Department for Education. 2019. Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (England) 2019). Retrieved from https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/supporting_documents/Draft%20Regulations%201.0%20for%20HAC.pdf
3. Simon Blake. 2008. There's a hole in the bucket: the politics, policy and practice of sex and relationships education. Pastoral Care in Education 26, 1: 33-41. https://doi.org/10.1080/02643940701848604