Raising awareness on sustainability issues through a mobile game

Abstract

The paper presents a review on, and analysis of, the design, development and evaluation of experiences of learning through the 'Sustainability Serious Game'. The mobile game has been developed as means of helping public authorities to collect information and feedback on how public spaces could be improved based on collective intelligence procedures. Furthermore, as part of enhancing learning, the game intends to provide knowledge and awareness on sustainability issues for public constructions relevant to engineering and architectural disciplines. Deployed targeted questionnaires with thirty-three (33) computer science students in UK and analysed through a Likert Scale findings from evaluation demonstrate that a conceptual change may be achieved in relation to how sustainability has been perceived. A questionnaire with 20 questions was distributed to students for evaluating various elements of the game such as usability characteristics, accumulation, assimilation and consolidation of new knowledge patterns related to the learning-oriented benefits of the game with an implicit focus on whether the game can be integrated within an academic setting. The fundamental conclusion from the analysis of the game uptake is that it enhances student's engagement with sustainability issues, especially in blended learning contexts for 'blending' different pedagogical approaches with game-oriented features as means of improving educational practice.