Using role-playing games in virtual exchanges: Global experiences in intercultural and multidisciplinary approaches to learning about environmental sustainability

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require intercultural collaboration to ensure that the progress made so far becomes permanent and continues to progress towards inclusion and a just approach for all people. This means our learners need intercultural skills and competencies for...

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Main Authors: Eduardo Verri Liberado, Kelly Tzoumis
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: University of Groningen Press 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Virtual Exchange
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journal.unicollaboration.org/article/view/41327
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author Eduardo Verri Liberado
Kelly Tzoumis
author_facet Eduardo Verri Liberado
Kelly Tzoumis
author_sort Eduardo Verri Liberado
collection DOAJ
description The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require intercultural collaboration to ensure that the progress made so far becomes permanent and continues to progress towards inclusion and a just approach for all people. This means our learners need intercultural skills and competencies for interacting globally. This research examines how the use of role-playing games in virtual exchange projects can provide global learning experiences on controversial environmental sustainability projects. These games simulate the complexity of multi-stakeholder decisions that are frequently problematic for implementing environmental sustainability projects. From fall 2020 to spring 2022, 267 college students from three continents (North and South America, and Europe) comprising 27 global virtual teams played game simulations as a virtual exchange activity. Results showed that students can engage effectively to reach an agreement as role-playing stakeholders for these conflictual projects (Adj R2 = .498, Chi Square = 4.683, sig. = .003). In addition, meetings among the students held a couple weeks before the game were important in preparing them for the role-playing simulation. Language and cultural barriers proved no impediment for students communicating in a non-native language. Well-timed “nudging” and scaffolding support as well as early intercultural competence self-awareness training by the instructors underpinned these positive learning experiences and outcomes in the games.
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spelling doaj-art-1732b698b80f47bc971e9b97dcdae56b2024-12-18T14:11:38ZdeuUniversity of Groningen PressJournal of Virtual Exchange2647-48322024-12-017(SI-IVEC2023)8410510.21827/jve.7.4132730993Using role-playing games in virtual exchanges: Global experiences in intercultural and multidisciplinary approaches to learning about environmental sustainabilityEduardo Verri Liberado0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6442-3078Kelly Tzoumis1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9411-6570São Paulo State UniversityDePaul UniversityThe United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require intercultural collaboration to ensure that the progress made so far becomes permanent and continues to progress towards inclusion and a just approach for all people. This means our learners need intercultural skills and competencies for interacting globally. This research examines how the use of role-playing games in virtual exchange projects can provide global learning experiences on controversial environmental sustainability projects. These games simulate the complexity of multi-stakeholder decisions that are frequently problematic for implementing environmental sustainability projects. From fall 2020 to spring 2022, 267 college students from three continents (North and South America, and Europe) comprising 27 global virtual teams played game simulations as a virtual exchange activity. Results showed that students can engage effectively to reach an agreement as role-playing stakeholders for these conflictual projects (Adj R2 = .498, Chi Square = 4.683, sig. = .003). In addition, meetings among the students held a couple weeks before the game were important in preparing them for the role-playing simulation. Language and cultural barriers proved no impediment for students communicating in a non-native language. Well-timed “nudging” and scaffolding support as well as early intercultural competence self-awareness training by the instructors underpinned these positive learning experiences and outcomes in the games.https://journal.unicollaboration.org/article/view/41327role-playing gamessustainability simulationsglobal learning experience
spellingShingle Eduardo Verri Liberado
Kelly Tzoumis
Using role-playing games in virtual exchanges: Global experiences in intercultural and multidisciplinary approaches to learning about environmental sustainability
Journal of Virtual Exchange
role-playing games
sustainability simulations
global learning experience
title Using role-playing games in virtual exchanges: Global experiences in intercultural and multidisciplinary approaches to learning about environmental sustainability
title_full Using role-playing games in virtual exchanges: Global experiences in intercultural and multidisciplinary approaches to learning about environmental sustainability
title_fullStr Using role-playing games in virtual exchanges: Global experiences in intercultural and multidisciplinary approaches to learning about environmental sustainability
title_full_unstemmed Using role-playing games in virtual exchanges: Global experiences in intercultural and multidisciplinary approaches to learning about environmental sustainability
title_short Using role-playing games in virtual exchanges: Global experiences in intercultural and multidisciplinary approaches to learning about environmental sustainability
title_sort using role playing games in virtual exchanges global experiences in intercultural and multidisciplinary approaches to learning about environmental sustainability
topic role-playing games
sustainability simulations
global learning experience
url https://journal.unicollaboration.org/article/view/41327
work_keys_str_mv AT eduardoverriliberado usingroleplayinggamesinvirtualexchangesglobalexperiencesininterculturalandmultidisciplinaryapproachestolearningaboutenvironmentalsustainability
AT kellytzoumis usingroleplayinggamesinvirtualexchangesglobalexperiencesininterculturalandmultidisciplinaryapproachestolearningaboutenvironmentalsustainability