Engaging Strategies for Environmental Education:A Case Study on Extended Reality to Learn about Climate Change

• Main Authors: Malta, Irene, Geiger, Josefine, Loonen, Maarten J.J.E.
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: Svalbard
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/11370/42abcaf2-e710-44c4-98c9-8c2d2510cc95; https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/42abcaf2-e710-44c4-98c9-8c2d2510cc95; https://www.en.cityu.edu.hk/news/events/communicating-sustainabilities-27-28-june-2024-online-conference

Empowering new generations to address climate change is a crucial objective for the current education system. This can be achieved by explaining to students recent research findings, providing concrete examples of climate impact and using engaging teaching methods (Monroe et al., 2019; Schreiner et al., 2005). Finding appealing, interactive and impactful climate change communication strategies is a core point to address when planning environmental education activities. We present a case study of a climate lesson implemented in a Dutch highschool class which focused on Svalbard (archipelago visibly affected by climate change) and integrated standard educational practices (written information, lecture, assignments) with Extended Reality (i.e., 360° videos with gyroscopic interaction of the area recorded by researchers on-site). The survey conducted among students (N=23) showed that the use of Extended Reality was appreciated for its immersiveness and for conveying a sense of agency, allowing students to explore Svalbard themselves, getting a better insight of learning content and deciding what to focus on using their devices. Students who reported that their opinion on climate change had shifted highlighted a heightened sense of urgency, seriousness and the importance of taking actions. Students who reported being motivated to change their behaviors highlighted modifying their food consumption, energy use, traveling and/or shopping habits. Furthermore, students who showed a desire to talk about the class with their parents referred to discussing the lecture content at home and/or climate actions to perform. All students acknowledged the importance of environmental education in school, mentioning as core aspects future implications as well as the importance of raising awareness and promoting climate action. The findings of this case study provide insights into students’ perspectives on a case of climate change education which combined standard communication strategies with innovative immersive ones.