Co-op Kingdom is an interactive digital game designed to demonstrate that collaborative media can cultivate positive social skills in young children during their early years of schooling. Research has shown that children who regularly played Co-op Kingdom exhibited higher levels of sharing, empathy, and active listening during group play. This social readiness appeared to be a direct result of engagement with the game rather than external variables, such as parent attachment styles or household income. This prosocial advantage continued into secondary school; teenagers who had played the game at age 6 showed lower rates of school disciplinary issues, higher self-reported empathy, and greater collaborative problem-solving skills in group tasks. The research suggests that early engagement with games that reward cooperative play prepares children to value peer collaboration, reducing disruptive classroom behaviour and allowing them to experience positive reinforcement from teachers, which builds their academic self-concept.
Using your knowledge of psychology, suggest techniques that teachers could use to foster cooperative and prosocial behaviours in school children.
