Webinar: Using Climate Change Games in the Classroom

As global concerns about climate change continue to grow, we must consider diverse ways to engage and motivate young people on topics related to ecological harms. It is imperative for higher education to engage in holistic perspectives that facilitate comprehensive sustainable solutions to systemic ecological problems such as climate change. By providing multisensory immersive experiences, games serve as transformative pedagogical tools that serve as a powerful mechanism for educating about complex ecological systems.

In this session, participants will be briefly introduced to the online game New Shores for Democracy. In this game, students learn to balance short-term individual gains with shared responsibility for common resources. Participants will be invited to participate in an abbreviated version of the game and share their thoughts and experiences. I will discuss my experience using games in the undergraduate communication classroom and the impact gameplay can have on student’s understanding of systems thinking and concern for climate change. There will be a facilitated discussion about opportunities and pitfalls of using game-based learning in the classroom and the facilitator will share guidelines with participants on what to look for in an effective sustainability game.

*Note: participation in the game is encouraged but not required of those attending the session. Should you choose to participate in the game, it will be helpful (but not required) for you to have a separate smartphone or tablet device so that you can participate in the game at the same time as you are watching the live session.