Early childhood behaviour management training for preschool teachers through a digital game
WP3: Interactive Learning Modules – Branching Scenarios
WP Leader: Infinitivity Design Labs (France)
Project: PreschoolABA | 2023-1-IE01-KA220-SCH-000152387
Digital learning has the power to reshape how we train and support educators. In PreschoolABA, this potential comes to life through the development of four immersive learning modules that guide preschool teachers through the complexities of behaviour management using interactive storytelling.
Work Package 3 (WP3), led by Infinitivity Design Labs (IDL), brought together behavioural science, narrative design and educational technology to create a learning system unlike traditional teacher training resources.
From Research to Reality: Defining What Teachers Need
The process began by identifying what teachers truly struggle with. Through extensive research, surveys and stakeholder interviews across partner countries, the project uncovered the challenges faced by educators managing behaviour in diverse early childhood settings. These findings informed the creation of six personas that represent typical preschool educators, serving as the emotional and pedagogical compass for the modules.
These personas helped the development team ensure that every narrative, decision point and reflection prompt in the modules relates directly to the lived experiences of teachers.
Designing Learning Through Story
To translate research into engaging experiences, IDL introduced storyboard templates that became the narrative architecture for all four modules. These templates ensured consistency in structure, feedback style and behavioural function mapping, while allowing creativity in scenario direction.
Collaborative brainstorming sessions brought partners together to imagine authentic behavioural scenarios reflecting the four functions of behaviour. Complexity, realism and cultural nuance were key considerations, ensuring that the modules resonate across European contexts.
A Technological Framework Built for Interaction
IDL proposed a digital framework powerful enough to support branching decision paths, multiple languages, accessibility and smooth user experience. This foundation enabled the team to build modules that are not only pedagogically sound but also technically reliable and enjoyable to navigate.
Bringing the Modules to Life
The resulting prototypes were presented during the second Transnational Project Meeting, where partners explored the first fully functional versions of the modules. Following internal evaluation, real teachers and learning design experts tested the modules, providing critical insights into usability, pacing and realism. Their voices informed the refinements that ultimately shaped the final versions.
Accessible Across Languages and Borders
With a Europe-wide audience in mind, IDL led the translation process, ensuring that terminology, behavioural concepts and learning moments remained accurate and culturally appropriate in all partner languages. Additional translations into Ukrainian and Albanian further expanded access to the training beyond the project consortium.
A New Standard for Behaviour Management Training
The completed interactive modules now serve as a central pedagogical tool for the PreschoolABA training programme. By combining evidence-based ABA principles with narrative exploration, they give teachers the rare opportunity to “rehearse” their behavioural responses in a safe environment—learning through experimentation, reflection and iteration.
You can explore the full branching scenario experience online:
https://project-spaces.eu/learningcontent/paba/story.html
