Abstract
Scholars have suggested that games and simulations can be created to educate players on global climate change issues, thereby engendering popular support for policies to mitigate anticipated negative effects. However, while there is ample theory, anecdotal and indirect empirical evidence to support this notion, direct evidence of the extent and manner that gameplay may influence perceptions of environmental issues would better inform the design and implementation of such games. Hence, this paper reports the findings of a mixed-methods investigation of Japanese university student perception change toward nuclear energy as a result of playing a game that simulates urban energy generation. The purpose of the study was to follow up on a prior study by collecting longitudinal quantitative data. This was collected with a survey administered both before and after playing the game, and qualitative data was additionally collected by analyzing written debriefing reports completed by participants after gameplay. Results indicate a moderate shift from a neutral to a positive perception of nuclear power’s relative advantage and compatibility in Japan. The author concludes that games and simulations can be used to influence perceptions on issues related to climate change, but that care should be taken in the design and implementation to achieve a desired effect among learners.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aldrich, D.P.: Post-crisis Japanese nuclear policy: from top- down directives to bottom-up activism. Asia Pac. Issues: Anal. East-West Cent. 103, 1–11 (2012)
Aldrich, D.P.: Rethinking civil society-state relations in Japan after the Fukushima accident. Polity 45(2), 249–264 (2013)
Alhabash, S., Wise, K.: Peace-maker: changing students’ attitudes toward Palestinians and Israelis through video game play. Int. J. Commun. 6, 356–380 (2012)
Bedwell, W., Pavlas, D., Heyne, K., Lazzara, E., Salas, E.: Toward a taxonomy linking game attributes to learning: an empirical study. Simu. Gaming 43(6), 729–760 (2012)
Chen, Z.-H., Liao, C., Cheng, H., Yeh, C., Chan, T.-W.: Influence of game quests on pupil’s enjoyment and goal- pursuing in math learning. J. Educ. Technol. Soc. 15(2), 317–327 (2012)
Clark, D.B., Nelson, B.C., Chang, H.-Y., Martinez-Garza, M., Slack, K., Angelo, C.M.D.: Exploring Newtonian mechanics in a conceptually-integrated digital game: comparison of learning and affective outcomes for students in Taiwan and the United States. Comput. Educ. 57(3), 2178–2195 (2011)
Crookall, D.: Serious games, debriefing, and simulation/gaming as a discipline. Simul. Gaming 41(6), 898–920 (2011)
Eisenack, K.: A climate change board game for interdisciplinary communication and education. Simul. Gaming XX(X), 1–21 (2012)
Eisenack, K., Reckien, D.: Climate change and simulation/gaming. Simul. Gaming 44(2–3), 245–252 (2013)
Franciosi, S., Mehring, J.: What do EFL students learn by playing an online simulation game? In: Helm, F., Bradley, L., Guarda, M., Thousesny, S. (eds.) Critical Call: Proceedings of the 2015 EUROCALL Conference, Padova, Italy, pp. 1–7. Research-publishing.net, Dublin, 29 Aug 2015
Kraiger, K., Ford, J.K., Salas, E.: Application of cognitive, skill-based, and affective theories of learning outcomes to new methods of training evaluation. J. Appl. Psychol. 78(2), 311–328 (1993)
Kriz, W.C.: A systemic-constructivist approach to the facilitation and debriefing of simulation and games. Simul. Gaming 41(5), 663–680 (2008)
Poortinga, W., Aoyagi, M.: Public perceptions of climate change and energy futures before and after the Fukushima accident: a comparison between Britain and Japan, p. 30. Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff (2013). (Working Paper No. 01-2013)
Reckien, D., Eisenack, K.: Climate change gaming on board and screen: a review. Simul. Gaming 44(2–3), 253–271 (2013)
Reeves, B., Cummings, J.J., Scarborough, J.K., Flora, J., Anderson, D.: Leveraging the engagement of games to change energy behavior. In: 2012 International Conference on Collaboration Technologies and Systems, pp. 354–358. IEEE (2012)
Rogers, E.: Diffusion of Innovation, 5th edn. Free Press, New York (2003)
Rollings, A., Adams, E.: Andrew Rollings and Earnest Adams on Game Design. New Riders, Berkley (2003)
Saldaña, J.: The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers. Sage, London (2009)
Stokes, B., Walden, N., O’Shea, G., Nasso, F., Mariutto, G., Burak, A.: Impact with games: a fragmented field (No. 1). ETC Press, Pittsburgh (2015). http://gameimpact.net/reports/frangmented-field/
Tsai, F.-H., Yu, K.-C., Hsiao, H.-C.: Exploring the factors influencing learning effectiveness in digital game-based learning. Educ. Technol. Soc. 15(3), 240–250 (2012)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this paper
Cite this paper
Franciosi, S.J. (2018). Simulation Game Impacts on Perceptions of Nuclear Energy. In: Naweed, A., Wardaszko, M., Leigh, E., Meijer, S. (eds) Intersections in Simulation and Gaming. ISAGA SimTecT 2016 2016. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 10711. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78795-4_23
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78795-4_23
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-78794-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-78795-4
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)