The TECCHED project promotes the use of innovative teaching and learning resources in education. The project has explored some useful simulations and visualisations as well and games that help present climate change issues.
Climate simulations use advanced models and digital tools to replicate Earth’s systems, enabling users to analyse and interpret climate patterns, predict impacts, and explore solutions for environmental challenges.
Gamification can be described as using the mechanics of gaming into non-game environments, like education to increase participation. The goal of gamification is to engage with participants to engage, involve, inspire and interact.
Gamification in teaching about climate change uses game-like elements, such as challenges, rewards, and interactive scenarios, to engage learners. It fosters critical thinking by simulating real-world climate issues, encouraging students to explore solutions. This approach enhances motivation, deepens understanding, and empowers learners to adopt sustainable behaviors in creative, impactful ways.
A catalogue of interactive visualisations, simulations and games has been created as part of the TECCHED learning platform.
Visit the catalogue of climate games and simulations
Recent research by Imperial College, London has shown that young people aged 16-24 are most likely to be particularly concerned about the impacts of climate change. This is partly because climate information is often hard to understand and follow, especially when suggested actions require changes in lifestyle.
A study on climate change anxiety published in the Lancet found that children and young people demonstrated climate anxiety and widespread dissatisfaction with government responses in countries across the world. This is partly because because the climate crisis is so complex and lacks a clear solution. Education clearly has a role to play in dealing with this.
Games on the subject of climate change are well-suited to address the challenge of dealing with the complex issues involved, engaging people in the challenges involved.
Games can help communicate climate change in a manner that spurs involvement and motivates participants to take action. This is partly because many innovative design features of games can be integrated to blur the boundaries between reality and the virtual world.
The integration of game thinking and game mechanics in education has been described as gamification. One of the central advantages of gamification is the enjoyment created by making tasks more engaging, fun and interesting to complete. In turn, that increases people’s motivation to complete them.
Research carried out by Yee (2016) identified six different game elements that motivate gamers and encourage participation.
+ Action (e.g., objectives)
+ Social (e.g., competition)
+ Mastery (e.g., scoring)
+ Achievement (e.g., awards, rewards)
+ Immersion (e.g., role playing) and
+ Creativity (e.g., customisation)
It is important to realise therefore that games and game-based learning are valuable approaches to teaching the complexity of addressing climate change and part of the toolbox that educators can use to engage young people.