Gamified Use Cases and Digital Content
In the GUESS project, our primary goal is to elevate environmental sustainability knowledge among university students. To achieve this, we’ve developed innovative digital environments that gamify the learning process, making it more engaging and impactful. These carefully crafted environments are designed to immerse students in interactive experiences, where learning about sustainability is not only informative but also enjoyable. Here is a brief description of some of the environments we have created so far.
1. A glimpse into the future
This scenario educates players on the critical issue of climate change by immersing them in a hiking journey where they witness the drastic transformation of a once-lush environment into a barren wasteland. Through interactive quizzes and exploration, players learn about the causes, effects, and solutions to climate change, empowering them to take action.
2. A Lake Lifeline
In this scenario, players take on the role of a scientist investigating the rising temperature of a lake due to global warming. Through exploration, data collection, and community engagement, players work to implement solutions, such as afforestation, to prevent further environmental damage and restore the lake’s health.
3. Desalination factory
In this scenario, players explore a desalination plant to understand the crucial process of turning seawater into potable water. Through interactive puzzles and decision-making, players learn about the environmental impacts, costs, and technological steps involved in desalination, highlighting the importance of sustainable water management in water-scarce regions.
4. Improper recycling at home
This scenario educates students on the proper methods of recycling by engaging them in an interactive classroom quiz and home-based activities. As players learn to identify and correct common recycling mistakes, they gain the knowledge needed to improve their habits, helping to reduce contamination in recycling processes and promote sustainability within their community.
5. A City That Cannot Breathe
Students stroll through a smog-choked urban environment, encountering visuals and sound effects that illustrate how traffic-generated pollutants affect health and visibility. Through interactive notecards and quizzes, they diagnose smog, learn pollutant sources, and brainstorm individual actions—like carpooling or cycling—to reduce air pollution
6. Walk in the Forest
Two peers explore contrasting forest stands—nutrient-poor sandstone groves versus lush, moisture-rich woodlands—answering pop-up questions that reveal how soil conditions, species origin, and natural processes underpin ecosystem services. Their dialogue and quizzes on tree age, native vs. non-native species, and disturbance ecology guide them toward a deeper appreciation of forest functions and conservation strategies
7. A Company That Cuts Down Forests to Build
Friends walking in their neighborhood park witness clear-cutting for development and compare before-and-after images to grasp the impacts of deforestation on green spaces and wildlife. Negotiation and quiz sequences prompt them to engage with company officials and advocate for replanting, highlighting restoration practices and the long-term benefits of sustainable land use
8. My Personal Contribution to Sustainability
Players simulate a day in the life—choosing actions like collecting shower water, using stairs instead of elevators, or carrying reusable bags—to see real-time feedback on their individual environmental footprints. Through multiple-choice prompts, the scenario fosters self-awareness of everyday decisions’ impacts on resource conservation and carbon emissions
9. Indoor Air Pollution
In a café setting, learners observe cigarette smoke and investigate other indoor pollutant sources by researching online, then answer quizzes on indoor air quality definitions, emissions, and health effects. This blend of in-game dialogue and web-inspired inquiry teaches them to identify hazards in enclosed spaces and consider mitigation measures like improved ventilation and cleaner products
