A gamified-integrated STEM activity about global climate change

Abstract

Gamified-integrated STEM is a technique that combines integrated STEM stages with gamification elements and can engage individuals in climate change communication. This paper presents a gamified-integrated STEM activity focused on global climate change. The activity includes gamified-integrated STEM instructional stages implemented in 6 lesson hours. The game elements used in the activity were time, rewards, points, badges, leaderboards, materials, stories, goals, and rules. Badges included: Decoders, Explorer, Meteorologist, Climatologist, Benevolent Koala, Scientist, and Engineer. The activity was designed for middle school students and aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. Educators are encouraged to incorporate this pedagogical activity within their instructions to elucidate fundamental concepts related to the consequences of climate change. In doing so, teachers can promote student engagement, improve awareness, and refine problem-solving competencies pertinent to climate-centric challenges. The activity has been evaluated and recommendations for enhancement have been made to ensure optimal efficacy in cultivating gamification and a nuanced understanding of climate-related topics among learners.

Keywords:

• Gamification
• integrated STEM education
• gamified-integrated STEM
• global climate change
• environmental education

Acknowledgments

I would like to congratulate all my students who accepted to participate in this study, freely expressed their opinions at every stage and experienced the process of learning by having fun together. I would also like to thank Ebru Z. MUĞALOĞLU and Remy DOU for their support and feedback.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s). This study is adapted from the master’s thesis.