Ocean literacy gamified: A systematic evaluation of the effect of game elements on students’ learning experience

Abstract

Low levels of concern about anthropogenic climate change have been attributed to a range of factors, some of which relate to education. These include people's lack of understanding and engagement with the multifaceted nature and extent of the problem that it presents to current and future generations. Limited knowledge is also known to be an obstacle to individual behaviour change, with important implications for young people's perceptions of the urgency to act and awareness of the consequences of their own behaviours. In this study, we explored ways to address low levels of understanding about ocean science dimensions to climate change phenomena, cognisant of a growing awareness that formal education curricula do not adequately engage young people with developing ocean literacy. Participants were a sample of secondary school students (11 to 14 years) in Portugal and the UK. Using a gamified mobile application, it was examined relationships between the use of different game elements such as points, badges and leaderboards, and learning outcomes. Systematic evaluation of each element shows how different game features affected the participants' learning experience and learning outcomes. Implications for formal and informal marine education, climate education, and how to improve ocean literacy efforts, are also discussed.

Gameful Green: A Systematic Review on the Use of Serious Computer Games and Gamified Mobile Apps to Foster Pro-Environmental Information, Attitudes and Behaviors

“…In addition to serious games, pro-environmental apps, especially those developed for use on mobile devices, have gained popularity and have increasingly been used in the last decade. Most of the apps developed for environmental education are gamified in the sense that they include game elements, such as point earning, badges, and/or leaderboards [28]. Emerging in the early 2000s, gamification may be defined as the "use of game design elements within non-game contexts" [29] (p. 1) through "the process of making activities more game-like" [30] (p. 6), and it is seen as a promising path for engaging individuals towards the achievement of specific outcomes in a variety of fields [31].…”

High School Students’ Motivation to Learn Climate Change Science through Educational Computer Games

“…They can foster cognitive, affective, and behavioral engagement in climate change education (Fernández Galeote et al, 2021). Games can improve student engagement (Fernández Galeote and Hamari, 2021; Flood et al, 2018), spike interest in climate adaptation (Neset et al, 2020), enrich learning experiences (Leitão et al, 2022), and provide effective mitigation strategies (Rajanen & Rajanen, 2019).…”

Bibliometric Analysis on Ocean Literacy Studies for Marine Conservation

“…Ocean literacy is a growing global educational movement that aims to deepen and contextualize the human relationship with the ocean [2]. Formal education is essential to broadening the ocean literacy scope, providing people with tools to engage with coastal and marine issues in a conscious and knowledgeable way [18,32].…”