Study of the Training of Environmentalists through Gamification as A University Course

Paz Fernández and Matías Ceacero-Moreno
Additional contact information
Paz Fernández: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Matías Ceacero-Moreno: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-24

Abstract: The United Nations Agenda for 2030 lists Sustainable Development Goals which include quality education, which we have pursued in the Undergraduate Final Project of the Environmental Sciences Degree at the University of Granada (Spain). This entailed designing sustainable cities, including the management of natural hazards. We created an innovative didactic model using gamification, in which the student adopted the researcher role using the computer game Cities: Skylines as a simulation tool. Using a design-based method, we conducted a qualitative single-case study in which the professor observed the process and guided the student’s self-learning in a fun way. Under this guidance, the student made decisions alone in order to simulate a sustainable city, and afterwards to analyse the findings. Three variables were considered in order to evaluate the results concerning the quality of the student’s learning: (1) the experiment using the game, (2) motivation, and (3) the skills acquired. In all three, the student earned a high score. Of the 12 skills established as the specific goals of the teaching plan, the student reached a very high level in 10, and a high level in two, implying the overall success of the learning process. The study achieved its main goal, as an innovative didactic methodology was established based on student’s research, using gamification and simulation with a technological tool. Moreover, the case study gave positive results, with the student proving capable of developing scientific and professional competencies at an optimal level.

Keywords: sustainable development goals (SDGS); simulation; gamification; higher education; natural hazards; sustainable city (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/4/2323/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/4/2323/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:4:p:2323-:d:503036

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().