I noticed this on LinkedIn yesterday. A project I helped to create the teacher pack for has been picked up and publicised by the UN Office for Disaster Risk reduction.
There is a link to a PreventionWeb article by Elliot Honeybun-Arnolda who played the game.
Some lovely feedback on the game.
I played the game for a few hours and found that the mechanics of Minecraft lent themselves very well to understanding the principles of environmental management.If you do a bad job, the sea encroaches on the terrain and certain infrastructure is lost (for instance, a car park or toilets). These dynamics add to the immersive experience of the game. They also really nail the realities of future climate change in a way that is potentially far more relevant and digestible than scientific models and projections.
In making the decisions, you get to move around the map to chat with key people about the potential impact of going ahead with a decision and any other factors. You are limited by how much you can spend. Some decisions, like relocating the lifeguard hut, are very expensive (costing 75% of your total funds), while nature-based management, such as sand dune protection, costs nothing. Through this players are actively introduced to decision-making and the implications of their actions.
Throughout the game, there is a major emphasis on balancing the economic, social and environmental impact. You are able to fast-forward to 2040 and then again to 2060 to see what your decision-making looks like down the line.
Comments