Gamification and Sustainable Water Use

The Case of the BLUTUBE Educational Program

Dados Bibliográficos

ID21629751
AutoresRoberto Di Paolo (0000-0002-6081-6656, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, autor correspondente), Veronica Pizziol (0000-0002-9032-8506, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca)
Ano2024
Volume55
Fascículo3
Páginas391-417
Data de publicação2024-06-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoSimulation & Gaming (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1046-8781 • E-ISSN: 1552-826X
EditoraSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/10468781231181652
OpenAlexW4379520541
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas1
Referências citadas31

Background In a world increasingly stressed by climate change and scarcity of natural resources, the prosocial behaviors of new generations become increasingly essential, especially when aimed at sustainability. This study aims to investigate the gamified system applied to the game-based educational program BLUTUBE, designed to promote better practices regarding virtuous water usage in the primary schools of the Municipality of Lucca. Methods We analyze the self-reported sustainable behaviors of almost 800 students of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades, using a survey about water consumption and awareness of related topics. We examine the association between the increase in the self-reported prosocial behaviors, which occurs after the end of the educational program, and participation in different activities - measured by the number of accumulated points - stimulated through gamification. Results We find that higher participation in gamified activities corresponds more likely to a higher increase in reported sustainable behaviors. Moreover, we observe that this result is led by specific activities - playing the board game Blutube at school, playing the urban game, and taking pictures of virtuous actions - rather than others - playing the board game at home. Lastly, given the difference between genders in the perceived benefits from gamification, we find that males increase more their awareness about sustainable behaviors by playing more the board game than females. In contrast, females raise their awareness when playing the urban game more. Discussion We suggest that playing the board game in a broader social context, such as school, can enhance the perception of children’s behaviors’ impacts on the external environment. Also, to effectively promote sustainable behaviors, educators should consider using game-based learning materials that incorporate rewards mechanisms into the activities. Conclusions This work sheds light on the relationship between gamification and pro-environmental behaviors, laying the ground for future research

Economics · Geography · Perception · Prosocial behavior · Scarcity · Sustainability · Applied Psychology · Child Development and Digital Technology · Educational Games and Gamification · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Psychology · Social Psychology · Ecology

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