RiskLab® at the Centre for Societal Risk Research (CSR)

RiskLab® is CSR’s primary platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience regarding societal risks and serves as an infrastructure for research on pedagogical methods related to societal risks. The concept includes pedagogical tools, methods and exercises that can be used to spark interest, share knowledge and support learning about societal risks. Through RiskLab®, CSR utilises the power of the creative meeting for learning and problem-solving. Every year, we welcome several hundred students, school pupils and representatives from various expert groups in society, such as government agencies, municipalities and different networks, both Swedish and international. Visitors to our facilities at Karlstad University can participate in workshops and exercises, as well as learn through serious games developed by our team. RiskLab® also serves as a research infrastructure that enables data collection and the development of new research questions on serious games and pedagogical tools.

Pedagogical tools

An important part of RiskLab® is a toolbox with pedagogical tools, methods and exercises that can be used to spark interest, share knowledge and support learning. Examples of tools include:

  • Risk and safety walks – thematic walks in an urban environment where the participants visit high-risk or vulnerable sites and discuss issues such as safety measures, resilience and risk perceptions in urban planning.
  • Floodville – an interactive flood simulation game where the participants need to make prioritisations to protect critical societal functions and save a community from flooding (flowing water in a physical model) using modelling clay.
  • Riskville – a game where the participants discuss and make decisions together and build a sustainable society with a focus on risks. The game explores how the way we design and develop our communities affects societal risks.
  • Role-play – an exercise where the participants in a playful way represent different societal stakeholders that are affected and need to act in the event of a crisis. Role-playing opens up further discussion about how challenging it can be to take action, collaborate and make decisions together with other societal actors in a crisis.

In RiskLab®, we adhere to the power of the creative meeting for learning and problem-solving. Through flexible learning formats, participants are encouraged to get actively involved and cooperate in order to raise awareness, generate new ideas or try out new ways of working. We also connect workshops, excursions and similar events to RiskLab, as these formats allow us to move our communication and learning to places where incidents have occurred and/or where risks are more tangible.

The RiskLab room

The RiskLab® room offers an adaptable environment for learning where we welcome a variety of groups, from primary school pupils and university students to societal stakeholders from Sweden and abroad. Through flexible learning formats, participants are encouraged to get actively involved and cooperate in order to raise awareness, generate new ideas or try out new ways of working.

RiskLab, research and research communication

RiskLab® is also a physical meeting place where new research questions are generated and various types of data can be collected. Within RiskLab®, we study learning and risk education in connection with various research projects.

RiskLab® also facilitates research communication about interdisciplinary research findings, oftentimes involving complex processes, in simple and engaging ways. RiskLab® offers opportunities to take part in interactive research presentations and to “touch” and “feel” different types of risks and their effects.

Current projects

One of our key focus areas at RiskLab® is games and gamification as a method for learning about societal risks. We are happy to organise workshops and demonstrate examples for different target groups. We are also involved in research and development projects. One of our current projects is INCREDILAB (INcreased Climate Resilience Education and DIgital transformation Lab).

The project aims to promote climate change adaptation and preparedness for climate-related cross-border crises. The activities included in the project are intended to increase and improve collaboration between municipalities, businesses and other organisations within the cross-border region of Värmland and Innlandet in Norway. Through a needs analysis and by developing and testing both analogue and digital games, INCREDILAB spreads and builds knowledge and actions related to climate change adaptation and preparedness for today and the future.

The project is funded by Interreg Sweden-Norway through the European Regional Development Fund. https://www.criseit.org/incredilab/