IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i2p688-d1318022.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Blue Gold , Game-Based Learning to Encourage Sustainable Consumption: The Case of Mobile Phones

Author

Listed:
  • Noemí Rodríguez

    (Department of Science Education, University of Oviedo, C/. Aniceto Sela s/n, 33005 Oviedo, Spain)

  • Francisco Yebra

    (MASPAZ, 33011 Oviedo, Spain)

  • Aida Dopico

    (Department of Science Education, University of Oviedo, C/. Aniceto Sela s/n, 33005 Oviedo, Spain)

  • Eva Garcia-Vazquez

    (Department of Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, C/. Julián Clavería s/n, 33006 Oviedo, Spain)

  • Eduardo Dopico

    (Department of Science Education, University of Oviedo, C/. Aniceto Sela s/n, 33005 Oviedo, Spain)

Abstract

The concept of sustainability is different in industry and in nature. In the case of mobile phones, the constant replacement by new models increases waste to ecologically unbearable limits. To encourage responsible and sustainable consumption, we designed an educational game in a role-play format, called Blue Gold . The objective was to make known the use of cobalt in the production of mobile phones and the methods and people involved in its extraction. We present three characters that each participant could become during the game: a Congolese girl, a Congolese boy, or an American boy. Through socio-educational dynamics of experiential learning, 308 undergraduate students and 31 of their teachers participated in the game. We set out to investigate whether knowing the reality of child labor and violence against women happening in cobalt mines could have any impact on consumer behavior, if the effect of the game could delay the desire to purchase a mobile phone or refuse to buy a new one. The results obtained revealed the influence of the role assumed in the game and the gender of the participants. They also revealed that this online role-playing game is effective in encouraging a more sustainable consumption behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Noemí Rodríguez & Francisco Yebra & Aida Dopico & Eva Garcia-Vazquez & Eduardo Dopico, 2024. "Blue Gold , Game-Based Learning to Encourage Sustainable Consumption: The Case of Mobile Phones," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-12, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:2:p:688-:d:1318022
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/2/688/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/2/688/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yong Li & Bairong Wang & Orachorn Saechang, 2022. "Is Female a More Pro-Environmental Gender? Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-11, June.
    2. Fahd Kamis Alzahrani & Waleed Salim Alhalafawy, 2023. "Gamification for Learning Sustainability in the Blackboard System: Motivators and Obstacles from Faculty Members’ Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-19, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Phimsupha Kokchang & Yuan Zhao & Suthirat Kittipongvises, 2023. "Understanding Citizens’ Perceptions and Attitudes toward Energy Restructuring under China’s NDC for Quality of Life: A Case of Linfen City," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 13(5), pages 566-576, September.
    2. Pei Xu & Penghao Ye & Atif Jahanger & Siwei Huang & Fan Zhao, 2023. "Can green credit policy reduce corporate carbon emission intensity: Evidence from China's listed firms," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(5), pages 2623-2638, September.
    3. Bonev, Petyo & Emmenegger, Rony & Forero, Laura & Ganev, Kaloyan & Simeonova-Ganeva, Ralitsa & Söderberg, Magnus, 2024. "Nuclear waste in my backyard: Social acceptance and economic incentives," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    4. Yong Li & Bairong Wang & Yunyu Li, 2023. "The Influence of the Big Five Personality Traits on Residents’ Plastic Reduction Attitudes in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(10), pages 1-12, May.
    5. Elisabete Correia & Sara Sousa & Clara Viseu & Manuela Larguinho, 2023. "Analysing the Influence of Green Marketing Communication in Consumers’ Green Purchase Behaviour," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-17, January.
    6. Novika Adi Wibowo & Sumarmi Sumarmi & Sugeng Utaya & Syamsul Bachri & Yayoi Kodama, 2023. "Students’ Environmental Care Attitude: A Study at Adiwiyata Public High School Based on the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-18, May.
    7. Carlos J. Hellín & Francisco Calles-Esteban & Adrián Valledor & Josefa Gómez & Salvador Otón-Tortosa & Abdelhamid Tayebi, 2023. "Enhancing Student Motivation and Engagement through a Gamified Learning Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-20, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:2:p:688-:d:1318022. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.