Assessing the potential to use serious gaming in planning processes for sanitation designed for resource recovery
Journal article, 2023

There is an urgent need for innovations in the sanitation sector to minimize environmental impacts and maximize resource recovery. Uptake of innovations may require changes in established technical practices, organisational norms and/or individual behaviours. Achieving change in any of these areas requires influencing cognitive, normative and relational learning processes. Serious games have been identified a potential tool for planners and environmental managers to influence such learning processes. This study designed the serious game RECLAIM to share knowledge about resource recovery from sanitation and to support attitude-change and collaboration between players. A structured framework was applied to assess if the game: 1) increased understanding of resource recovery (cognitive learning), 2) changed worldviews (normative learning), 3) led to more collaboration (relational learning), and 4) was a positive experience. Proof-of-concept testing of the game in Uganda found that it was positively received. The game provided cognitive learning on environmental and health impacts, resource recovery, and sanitation in general. Players gained an appreciation of the need for collaboration and it was deemed to have the potential to influence worldviews of a larger stakeholder group. Future recommendations include embedding the game in planning processes, including several gaming sessions that would strengthen cognition learning and the potential for changing practices.

Game experience

Collaboration

Attitude change

Sustainable sanitation

Learning

Author

Jennifer R Mc Conville

Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Urban Design and Planning

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)

Monica Billger

Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Architectural theory and methods

C. B. Niwagaba

Makerere University

Jaan-Henrik Kain

University of Gothenburg

Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Urban Design and Planning

Environmental Science and Policy

1462-9011 (ISSN) 18736416 (eISSN)

Vol. 145 262-274

Adaption and innovation in santitation planning : Exploring technical and societal readiness of alternative nutrient-recovery

Swedish Research Council (VR) (2016-06297), 2016-12-01 -- 2019-11-30.

Gamification av sanitetsplanering: "En undersökning av teknisk och samhällelig beredskap för alternativa kretsloppssystem"

Formas (2016-01076), 2017-02-01 -- 2020-12-31.

Driving Forces

Sustainable development

Subject Categories

Learning

Social Sciences Interdisciplinary

Water Engineering

Information Science

DOI

10.1016/j.envsci.2023.04.002

More information

Latest update

5/9/2023 1