How the Simulation-Based Learning Game, World Climate, Shapes Climate Change Perspectives Among High School and College Students, Traditionally Under-Represented in STEM Fields

Abstract:

Despite clear scientific evidence to support ambitious action to address climate change, societal action remains inadequate to avoid its damaging consequences. New approaches in climate change communication are needed to incite faster change by motivating science-based action. World Climate is an interactive, engaging, and socially rich role-play simulation that enables participants to negotiate a climate agreement to limit warming to 2 °C above pre-industrial levels. During the simulation participants use a computer model, C-ROADS, grounded in the best available science to receive immediate feedback on the implications of their decisions. Through role-play, participants act out how climate change will disproportionately impact low-income populations and under-represented minorities. In 2019, several programs that assist high school and college students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, including low-income and first-generation-in-college students, implemented the World Climate simulation. Participants who displayed the largest gains in their sense of urgency around climate change, measured through pre- and post-experience surveys, were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview regarding their experience. 12 participants from across 4 different simulation sessions were interviewed, and their responses were transcribed and categorized into codes. Results suggest that the simulation was more engaging and more effective than traditional lecture-based instruction. It increased participants' perception of the risk of and sense of urgency to address climate change. Furthermore, these findings highlight the important role that both urgency and risk perception play in participants’ desire to take action. The preliminary insights from this study show that participatory approaches like World Climate can change individuals’ perspectives on climate change through group engagement guided by climate modeling.