Edutainment for Sustainable Development: A Survey of Games in the Field. (December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Katsaliaki, Korina; Mustafee, Navonil
• Other Names: Yilmaz Levent guest-editor.; Ören Tuncer guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Simulation & gaming. Volume 46:Number 6(2015:Dec.)
• Page Start: 647
• Page End: 672
• Publication Date: 2015-12
• Subjects: climate change -- education -- edutainment -- environment -- game play -- games -- management learning -- resource depletion -- review -- role-play -- serious games -- simulation -- socio-economic issues -- survey -- sustainability -- sustainable development; Social sciences -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Simulation methods -- Periodicals; Game theory -- Periodicals; Sciences sociales -- Étude et enseignement -- Périodiques; Simulation, Méthodes de -- Périodiques; Jeu de rôle -- Périodiques; Éducation; Jeu d'entreprise; Jeu de simulation; Méthode de simulation; Sciences sociales; Théorie des jeux; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 003.3
• DOI: 10.1177/1046878114552166
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1046-8781

Abstract

Background. The ever-increasing demand for natural resources has led to the continuing depletion of resources. Reversing this trend will require knowledge of effective environmental management strategies and adoption of sustainable development practices by society at large. Thus, it is critical that citizens increase their awareness of sustainability and acquire managerial skills required to effect change. Use of decision games for teaching sustainable development is a step in this direction. Games present great opportunities as tools of edutainment (educational entertainment) for teaching and training, with positive effects on learning outcomes. Aim and Method. In this article, we undertake a methodological review of games on sustainable development, analyzing their underlying characteristics, including the stated focus of the games, game availability, number of players and their roles, their target age, game validation and evaluation, stakeholder involvement in game development, learning outcomes, and so on. A total of 49 games are included in this survey. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that the games used for teaching sustainable development have generally increased players' understanding of issues around sustainability and have enhanced their knowledge of sustainable development strategies. Our classification of the games' characteristics assists educational instructors and potential learners in identifying games that are best suited for their teaching and learning needs.