Promoting sustainable behavior using serious games: Seadventure for ocean literacy

Abstract

In the environmental sector, in recent years, policies and governance of marine issues have seen greater enhancement of participatory and community-based processes (for example the Blue Growth Actions of the Interreg Med Program of the European Union). The greater involvement of citizens in the processes and policies of the sea can greatly benefit the survival of the marine environment and support reforms, since most environmental problems are caused by human behavior. Changes in individual behaviors are desirable to ensure sustainable use of the ocean and its resources. These changes are possible only if there is an improvement in people’s knowledge and awareness since the childhood. Ocean literacy interventions will allow people to understand their responsibilities towards the oceans and their health. For this reason, it is necessary to promote sustainable behavior changes using new educational approaches that can be effective with young pupils. The research presents a serious game and an explainer video, used in order to introduce the problem of marine litter, one of the main dangers for the marine species. The aim of the serious game was to enhance ocean literacy with a particular attention to the biodiversity of the Apulian and Mediterranean sea to raise children’s awareness of the issue of caring for life in the sea. The measure of learning effectiveness confirmed that the knowledge gained can be actually acquired by children using new technologies, in general, and serious games in particular.