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Fostering values thinking in engineering students through a game-based sustainability intervention
Dahlin, Jon-Erik Szigyarto, Cristina Al-Khalili Johansson, Ted Karlsson, Roger Polmear, Madeline
Dahlin, Jon-Erik
Szigyarto, Cristina Al-Khalili
Johansson, Ted
Karlsson, Roger
Polmear, Madeline
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EESD2025_#76_Dahlin.pdf
Adobe PDF, 373.97 KB
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Date
2025
Educational Level
Curriculum Area
Geographical Setting
Sweden
UK
UK
Abstract
This paper presents the findings from a cross-institutional study investigating how a game-based educational intervention can foster values thinking and normative competence among engineering students. Implemented across seven programmes at three universities in Sweden and the UK, the intervention aimed to develop students' ability to engage with complex sustainability issues by providing a structured space for discussing ethical dilemmas and competing perspectives. The study employed pre- and post-session surveys combining quantitative Likert-scale items and qualitative open-ended questions. Students were asked to self-assess their comfort with discussing divergent viewpoints, their ability to work with ill-defined problems, and their perception of the relevance of sustainability to their future careers. The analysis revealed statistically significant improvements in the first two areas, suggesting that the seminar contributed meaningfully to the development of key competencies for sustainability. While students' perception of sustainability's importance remained high, no significant post-session change was observed in this dimension. The results indicate that structured, game-based interventions can support sustainability-related learning outcomes in engineering education. The format encourages critical dialogue, reflection, and peer engagement, making it particularly well-suited to addressing the normative and systemic dimensions of sustainable development. These findings underscore the potential of experiential, values-driven pedagogies in preparing engineers to navigate the ethical and complex challenges of sustainability practice.
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Keywords (free text)
game-based learning, survey evaluation, engineering education, engineering for sustainable development, education for sustainabilty, sustainability in engineering