Planning for sustainable development: a simulation game

• Published in: Applied environmental education and communication Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 42 - 54
• Main Authors: Vasconcelos, Vitor Vieira, Seingyai, Apinyapon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Routledge 2022; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Computer & video games; Creativity; Educational Games; Educational software; Environmental Education; Foreign Countries; Games; serious games; Simulation; simulation games; Social factors; Social interactions; Story Telling; Students; Sustainability; Sustainable Development; sustainable development goals; Undergraduate Students; Brazil
• ISSN: 1533-015X; 1533-0389
• DOI: 10.1080/1533015X.2021.1936299

The purpose of this article is to present the planning for sustainable development simulation game, developed to stimulate creativity and dialogue to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). The simulation game is targeted at practitioners and students in the field of planning, although it can be adapted to different contexts. The simulation game consists of four card decks (context, SDGs, implementation tools, and events) from which the players draw cards that will frame their storytelling and group debriefing. The article describes how the simulation game was played in a class of undergraduates taking a development and sustainability course. There were 56 students divided into 14 groups, each with four participants. Evaluations conducted with the participants indicated the potential of the simulation game for environmental education. It appeared to enhance the ability of the participants to articulate different aspects of sustainability in hypothetical applied scenarios, while stimulating innovative attitudes and critical evaluation based on social interactions.