Games by which to learn and teach about sustainable development: exploring the relevance of games and experiential learning for sustainability

This paper discusses the roles of games in experiential learning for sustainability. It includes applied emphases upon four topics: (1) The challenges of sustainable development education with the need for interdisciplinarity, knowledge, skills and attitudinal training and with a special focus upon the urgent needs for paradigm, context and practice changes to help ensure that we make progress toward sustainable societies. We emphasize that these characteristics challenge existing teaching and educational philosophies and methods. (2) The theory of experiential learning, as developed by David Kolb in the nineteen eighties. We underscore that experiential learning is a good model for education for sustainability. (3) The usefulness of games as tools in learning processes. Various aspects of games are discussed such as the ‘functions of games’ and ‘the different categories of games,’ and ‘the role of games in learning and particular in experiential learning.’ These three aspects form the theoretical part of the paper. (4) Brief reviews of some illustrative games. The authors provide practical advice on how to play games in the context of learning for SD. They underscore facets such as the contextualization of games, technical aspects of playing games and the debriefing after the games have been played. The authors conclude the paper with conclusions that games are potentially relevant in all of the four learning phases of experiential learning. Games are especially relevant in phase four. In this phase games can contribute to helping learners to effect shifts in their personal paradigms, context and practice that are needed for sustainable development. The final conclusion is that many games exist and have been proven to be helpful. Educators are invited to change their curricula to facilitate usage of games as integral components of their educational philosophy tools and practice.     

Education for regional sustainable development: experiences from the education framework of HHCEPZ project

Characteristics and education techniques of the education framework in Hai Hua Circular Economy Pilot Zone (HHCEPZ) project are described. In the project, a three-level education framework was set up to meet the theoretical and technological needs of implementing the circular economy towards sustainable society. In this educational framework, different information and technology was provided for different target groups using different educational techniques. The educational framework was flexible and comprehensive, endeavoring to ensure a demand-oriented and need-based approach to the local sustainability improvement. The results showed that the education framework was successful and served as the basis of implementation and capacity building of sustainable development. The article also presents the achievements of the HHCEPZ project and gives some suggestions on how to improve the current education framework for further implementation.     

Re-considering product design: a practical “road-map” for integration of sustainability issues

The proliferation of sustainability assessment principles, strategies, actions, and tools has created confusion about pathways forward for companies. It is unclear how existing approaches are complementary or distinct. How does a company assess current products and materials? How could designers create more sustainable products? What criteria, principles, approaches, and tools should be applied? Why? Is there a practical “road map” to guide product designers and product development managers in integrating sustainability issues into their decision-making processes?This article builds on previous frameworks for understanding the interconnections between various assessment principles, strategies, actions, and tools related to industrial ecology, human and labor rights, and corporate social responsibility [Waage S, Geiser K, Irwin F, Weissman A, Bertolucci M, Fisk P, et al. Fitting together the building blocks for sustainability: a revised model for integrating ecological, social, and financial factors into business decision-making. Journal of Cleaner Production 2005;13(12):1117–206; Robèrt K-H, Schmidt-Bleek B, Aloisi de Larderel J, Basile G, Jansen JL, Kuehr R, et al. Strategic sustainable development—selection, design and synergies of applied tools. Journal of Cleaner Production 2002;10(3):197–214; Robèrt K-H. Tools and concepts for sustainable development, how do they relate to a framework for sustainable development, and to each other? Journal of Cleaner Production 2000;8(3):243–54]. Expanding on past work, this piece suggests a “road map” for application by product designers and product development managers. A four-phase process is offered for integrating systems and sustainability perspectives into product design, manufacturing, and delivery decisions.     

Engineering designers' experience of design for environment methods and tools – Requirement definitions from an interview study

Despite an increasing number of Design for Environment (DfE) methods and tools, industrial utilization is still limited. Identifying Engineering Designers' requirements is a useful way to increase the utilization of DfE methods and tools. This paper is based on existing literature and a semi-structured interview study at an industrial equipment company. Different reasons why engineering designers utilize methods and tools are presented, as well what makes a method or tool actively utilized. Several engineering designer requirements for methods and tools are identified and described. Several identified requirements that a DfE method ought to fulfill are listed and described.     

Ecodesign tools for designers: defining the requirements

This paper presents the findings from a research project which set out to understand the type of requirements that industrial designers have of ecodesign tools, through the use of a web based prototype. Through qualitative data collection and analysis a number of important criteria for ecodesign tools were identified. The conclusions recognise the importance of developing holistic tools for industrial designers, identifying that a combination of guidance, education and information, along with well considered content, appropriate presentation and easy access, are all critical to their success. A framework for ecodesign tools for industrial designers is presented along with the evolution of ‘Information/Inspiration’ into a fully working web-based tool.     

Design for Sustainability (DfS): the interface of sustainable production and consumption

Nowadays design is faced with the challenge to contribute to the transition towards a sustainable society. Design for Sustainability (DfS) is the response to this challenge. It includes but goes beyond what Design for the Environment or ecodesign provides, by integrating social, economic, environmental and institutional aspects and by offering opportunities to get involved, express one’s own identity beyond consuming standardised mass products.DEEDS, a Leonardo research project, had the mission to embed sustainability in design and design in sustainability. For this behalf, the project partners approached the issue from the angles of design, sustainability science and sustainable consumption analysis, developing tools and rules (the SCALES principles) to support DfS and to incorporate it into design education and practice.The paper describes the framework conditions as explored by sustainable consumption research, the obstacles identified by DEEDS and gives hints how to overcome them based in the lessons learnt in the course of the project.     

A tool to implement sustainable end-of-life strategies in the product development phase

Responding to constantly more demanding European legislation, notably for electrical and electronic equipment, worn-out vehicles or hazardous substances, manufacturers have to develop End of Life (EoL) strategies. The challenge today is to assess which “product EoL process” would be profitable for an enterprise given the business model in place. Most of the Original Equipment Manufacturers recycle or subcontract reverse logistic and EoL treatments. Recycling is currently the most common solution but it is far from meeting the goals of Sustainable Development. We believe that, integrating constraints from EoL strategies into the early phases of design is one important aspect that needs to be improved. We are currently combining this idea with principles from concurrent engineering to develop design aids which permits designers to compare their products to “Remanufacturable Product Profiles”. However, conscious those EoL solutions often involve several strategies; it is now envisaged to develop tools to help designers make optimal decisions while designing a product considering 3R strategies: Reuse, Remanufacture and Recycle. In this paper, our vision of why and how to integrate EoL strategies in the early design phases is presented, and what tools to apply 3R strategies are envisaged, considering the evolving architecture of the product, and the translation of transversal information into design criteria.     

Is community-based sustainability education sustainable? A general overview of organizational sustainability in outreach education

Educators recognize the ecological, economic, and social components of environmental sustainability. For community-based programs, there is another sustainability trio that, if neglected, will lead to a decline in program quality and function. To be sustainable over the long term, community-based programs must have superior educational quality, clear organizational structure, and continued financial stability. Many educational outreach programs that have neglected this sustainability trio have been weakened or eliminated as they are not seen as priority items during budget reductions. The Master Gardener Program exemplifies this premise, representing a cadre of tens of thousands of university-trained volunteer educators who deliver environmental education to their communities. Over the years, the vision for educational quality, use of clear organizational structures fitting an increased reliance on volunteers, and securing of outside funding for sustainability education have waned in many states, resulting in a lack of university leadership and programmatic devolution. We propose revising outreach education to align with the best practices in adult pedagogy and science by developing a centralized organizational structure and by looking outside traditional university resources for funding opportunities. These strategies can easily be adapted for other community-based outreach programs.     

Engineering education in sustainable development at Delft University of Technology

Is technology hindering sustainable development or can it be used to stimulate sustainable development? It is becoming clearer that technological innovation can be a useful tool for achieving sustainable development. That is, if the technologist is aware of the boundaries that should be considered when working in a sustainable way; and is knowledgeable about how to use the tools that can be used to work in a sustainable way. Therefore, making technology students aware of these boundaries and tools is an important educational task for universities. Such education should, in our view, include two subjects. (1) Giving them insight into the concepts of sustainable development. What is sustainable development? What are sustainability problems? What are the causes of these problems? Which strategies and approaches for solving them are available? (2) Giving them insight into the technology development process. How does the technology development process work? Which factors influence and steer it? What is the influence of technology on society and on sustainable development? The Technology Assessment group at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands has developed several courses on the combination of these two subjects, integrating research results in the fields of sustainable development and technology dynamics. In this article the contents of these courses are described.     

The ENVIROCARE CD-ROM—cleaner production training for vocational students

Environmental awareness raising, education and training, on a wide scale, are required to ensure societal adoption of sustainable development. ENVIROCARE, an interactive multimedia educational CD-ROM, has been developed by a transnational partnership to provide such environmental education for vocational students. The programme, available in English, Dutch, German and Portuguese, is designed to provide training for students to show the impact that industry can have on the environment and how they can reduce such impacts when they enter the workforce, by implementing the concepts and approaches of Cleaner Production. The paper describes the development of ENVIROCARE, its contents and structure, the lessons learned in its creation and future challenges.     

EcoDesign and The Ten Golden Rules: generic advice for merging environmental aspects into product development

The most important moment in product development is when demands and specifications are decided for the product that is being planned. The specification defines the goal for the product development process. It is a very important steering opportunity for the continuing work and for environmentally driven demands that are to be addressed in the product development phase. The designers are said to have the key to sustainable product development through EcoDesign. Many tools have been developed in order to help them to achieve this objective. However, most tools are seldom used primarily because of a lack of sustainability oriented requirements in specifications for products. If there is no demand for improved environmental performance, then there is no need for EcoDesign tools. The lack of market demand for environmentally improved products is therefore, a crucial factor. In other words: It makes no sense to grab a screwdriver from your toolbox if you have a nail in your hand. On the other hand if you have a hammer in your hand you tend to see everything as nails! The hypothesis of this paper is that there is a strong need for a tool to facilitate the integration of reasonable environmental demands into the product development process. The presented tool, “The Ten Golden Rules,” can be helpful in this effort. A helpful tool must be well adapted to the task and therefore it is important that the individual product developer/designer can develop personal versions from the generic guidelines. The Ten Golden Rules provide such a possibility. They provide a common foundation, for all in the team, which can be used as a base and guidelines for development of situation specific product-design challenges.     

大学生生态教育现状调查研究

环保教育是全方位的环境保护和可持续发展意识的教育，是全民教育、全程教育和终身教育，大学生的生态教育是大学生素质教育的重要环节。通过对云南大学1000名学生的问卷调查，分析了大学生生态意识的现状并提出大学生生态教育的对策。     

Environmental Impact Assessment in higher education and training in Portugal

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) education has been a reality for years in many graduate and undergraduate programs worldwide. As EIA has grown as a widely accepted environmental policy tool, several professions have tried to incorporate these skills into their academic training. The main aim of this research was to assess the Portuguese profile of EIA education, measuring the degree of EIA integration in graduate and undergraduate programs. This paper intends to contribute to an understanding of the key factors related to EIA education. A national survey was conducted to obtain data on EIA education programs. More recently, many other programs, both graduate and undergraduate, have established EIA courses. New knowledge, practices, legislation and public policies are fundamental drivers of the application of EIA, which will probably continue to expand to more undergraduate and graduate programs. The association of EIA with other environmental management tools, such as environmental management systems or environmental performance evaluation, and sustainable development initiatives will be a priority challenge for all who are engaged in this domain.     

Moving forward on educating for sustainability in Manitoba

This paper discusses the approach taken by the provincial government to move educating for sustainability (EfS) forward. The paper identifies the activities that Manitoba has initiated over the past decade that contribute to EfS including: providing funding in support of EfS; establishing policies that integrate sustainable development concepts into provincial curricula; establishing sustainability indicators and reporting on indicators; developing regulations and policies that work towards greening operations of educational institutions, and supporting educators in the field. The paper concludes with an overview of future developments in the area of EfS and calls for strategic, systemic, and concerted action to support educators as they work to develop students' knowledge, skills and values that contribute to a sustainable future.     

Does the potential of the use of LCA match the design team needs?

Today, most people involved in the industrial engineering community (consultants, manufacturers, researchers and institutional actors) assert that Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the most successful tool to assess environmental considerations in the product design process. This assertion is addressed in this article through a simultaneous check of the potential of this tool and the environmental needs of the design team. After a comparison of this potential to these needs, the following assertions may be made: (1) LCA is not an adequate tool for the designer, because its utility in the design process is limited to an analysis of existing products or well defined products at the final stages of the design process, and (2) LCA is not useful in creating a learning dynamic (awareness) within the company, because it does not improve the legitimacy or the credibility of environmental considerations. Moreover, it may generate confusion within the design team while restricting the capacity for innovation within the company. This paper concludes that, in the product design field, the LCA tool should be considered as a specialized tool handled by a specific player (the environmental actor) and should be dedicated to the strategic evaluation of new concepts.     

初中生环境意识现状调查及提升对策分析

环境保护教育为本,环境教育在基础教育中意义重大。为了了解焦作市中学环境教育的现状,推动焦作市中学环境教育的开展,探讨今后中学环境教育的重点和方向,对焦作市区的两所中学的环境教育进行了抽样问卷调查,获取了初一、初二年级学生的环境意识现状资料,综合分析调查对象在环境知识、环境教育、环境意愿等方面的现状,针对其中存在的问题,从教育方法、教育手段、教学模式、知识获取途径、教育系统资源等方面提出若干提升对策。     

环境教育与环境文献

根据我国环境类和教育类学术期刊上刊登的环境教育文献的比重和内容的调查结果来看，不管是环境科学界，还是教育界对环境教育的重视程度与环境教育本身的重要性不成比例，环境教育研究的落后已成为制约我国环境教育可持续发展的关键问题。     

Service Engineering: a novel engineering discipline for producers to increase value combining service and product

In order to pursue sustainability, commercial activities between the supply and demand sides must be somehow changed. In the context of eco-design, producers must need a much bigger framework than is available in current eco-design techniques. This calls for establishing a new discipline. This paper aims at proposing a novel engineering discipline for producers toward sustainable production and consumption, Service Engineering (SE). For the sake of this, the scheme of SE is first explained. Second, a methodology of modeling and designing services, and a computer-aided design tool called Service Explorer, are presented. Third, they are proved to be effective through two applications. In SE, positive and negative changes of consumers are modelled as value and cost, respectively. In addition, the model to describe a target consumer is provided for grounding the identified value. A design methodology including the identification of value with realization structures is also provided. Furthermore, SE allows designing services in parallel with products. In the application to service redesign of an existing hotel in Italy, it was demonstrated that the presented methods and tools facilitate designers adding new value like the view of outside through a window in energy-saving structure. It was also proven to deal with both products and services through generating a solution called “cash-back per non-wash” system for washing towels. The other smaller-scaled application to design of renting home appliances revealed that they support to determine a property of an adopted physical product like the size of a TV set depending on target customers’ properties effectively.     

Developing sustainable products and services

In light of increasing pressures to adopt a more sustainable approach to product design and manufacture, the requirement to develop sustainable products is one of the key challenges facing industry in the 21st century. Hence, the concept of developing sustainable products as well as services is evolving as a key element of Cleaner Production. Sustainable product development initiatives (mainly through eco-design) have been evolving for some time to support companies develop more sustainable products. Ireland has been running the highly successful Environmentally Superior Products (ESP) initiative that supports industrial companies to incorporate a more sustainable approach to the development of products and/or services. The lessons learned from the ESP and other global Sustainable Product and Service Developments in industry and research, are being used to develop a method for effective sustainable product and/or service development (SPSD) in industry. The method is designed to provide pragmatic guidance to business and industry for developing sustainable products and services as well as incorporating this approach within existing corporate strategy, cleaner production and product development systems. This method is being developed by the authors at the Environmental Policy and Management Group (EPMG), Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Imperial College London, UK in conjunction with industry and practitioners. The method provides a framework for implementing SPSD throughout the entire lifecycle of a product and/or service. It can be used to identify, assess and implement the options for optimum sustainability in the design and development of a product and/or service. This paper describes the key features of this method.     

对少数民族地区中学生环境教育的静思——以贵州铜仁为例

通过对贵州铜仁地区部分中学环境教育的问卷调查,了解到人们一直把课堂渗透作为其主要途径;部分领导和教师对环境教育不够重视,在课时分配、教学计划、教学过程中缺乏加强环境教育内容的意识;现行的课程设置,有关环境知识的内容比较零散、肤浅,不能使学生形成完整的环境概念,影响了学校环境教育目的的实现。因此,提高教育者的环境教育意识、健全评价培训制度、拓宽教育途径、创新教学方法,开发有利于环境教育的课程教材是促使中学生环境意识与环保行动得到协调一致发展的有效策略。