A collaborative game-based learning to enhance ecological economics teaching

Abstract

Game-based learning refers to the use of game thinking and mechanics to engage and motivate students in the learning process. We applied this innovative concept to complement the theoretical sessions of an introductory course on ecological economics in the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). A participatory simulation game originally developed by Capellán-Pérez et al. (2019) in the context of energy and sustainability education was adapted for this course; and at the same time, the theoretical sessions were reshaped to enhance the learning experience of the gaming. The pedagogical effect of the whole course was evaluated with a previous and posterior questionnaire. The results show that this combined strategy is especially suited to motivate and engage students into the discipline of ecological economics, as well as in order to promote team work and collaborative thinking. We also observed that students gained a better global vision and interrelation between the topics discussed during the course and a greater capacity to understand and interiorise the global socio-environmental crisis that humanity is currently facing

Understanding the Educational Innovation Practice in Teaching and Learning among Economic Teacher’s in Klang Valley

“…Collaborative and team-based learning approaches have been shown to provide relevant and generative approaches to working through real-world issues, promoting student citizenship, collaboration, and effective practice [44]. Game-based learning has also been used to complement theoretical sessions in economics education, enhancing the learning experience and promoting teamwork and collaborative thinking [45]. These findings underscore the importance and effectiveness of collaborative learning in economics education.…”