Can computer models be used for social learning? A serious game in water management

Wal, M.M. van der; Kraker, Joop de; Kroeze, Carolien; Kirschner, Paul A.; Valkering, Pieter

doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2015.10.008

Cited by 68 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…It is also interesting to note that the developers introduced an element of surprise into the game by providing newspaper headlines (portraying generally unforeseen yet plausible contextual events) and unpredictable occurrence of extremely high or low flows. Van der Wal et al [27] report that a total of 12 game sessions have been successfully completed.…”

Section: Serious Games In Water Systems Planning and Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the majority of the games analysed here use simulation tools with facilitators, who are required to present the results of the decisions, to help guide participants in understanding the simulation tool outputs and the game objectives, or to judge the outcome of the game [23,24,31]. Some of the interfaces are basic, providing only numerical/tabular output to the players [27,30], whilst some provide a slider/selection buttons for input/actions, and/or behaviour-over-time graphs to compare performance against a benchmark [31,34,35]. A Geographic Information System representation of the space or simplified spatial maps, has also been proposed [10].…”

Section: Toward Classification Of Serious Games For Water Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Valkering et al [26] and Van der Wal et al [27] use a simulation game as a tool to explore possible future river management dynamics in the Netherlands with a view for developing and assessing policy-relevant climate adaptation pathways. The game deals with a virtual river stretch, representative of many low-lying river stretches in the Rhine delta of the Netherlands.…”

Section: Serious Games In Water Systems Planning and Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some games do not require any facilitators, as from the start the players are learning by playing, e.g., SimCity™. However, a majority of complex games require facilitation at the beginning or throughout the entire process [24,26,27,[29][30][31]34,36], while some of them require elaborate introductory workshops to explain the problem [25]. The progress of the game can be influenced by the workshops and the involvement of facilitators, who can engage simply by running the models used to assess a solution proposed by players [36], or even act as "referees", who can answer questions about management strategies or game rules and assist with scoring at the end of the game [34].…”

Section: Toward Classification Of Serious Games For Water Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Serious Gaming for Water Systems Planning and Management

Savić

Morley

Khoury

2016

Water

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Water systems planning and management share the same roots with gaming, as they rely on concepts in systems analysis, operations research and decision sciences. This paper focuses on Serious Games (those used for purposes other than mere entertainment), with applications in the area of water systems planning and management. A survey of published work on gaming is carried out with particular attention given to applications of Serious Gaming to water systems planning and management. The survey is also used to identify the principal criteria for the classification of Serious Gaming for water related applications, including application areas, goals, number and type of players, user interface, type of simulation model used, realism of the game, performance feedback, progress monitoring and game portability. The review shows that game applications in the water sector can be a valuable tool for making various stakeholders aware of the socio-techno-economic issues related to managing complex water systems. However, the critical review also indicates a gap that exists in the Serious Game application area with the lack of water distribution system games. A conceptually simple, but computationally elaborate new game for water distribution system analysis, design and evaluation (SeGWADE) is presented in this paper. It has a main goal of finding a least-cost design for a well-known benchmark problem, for which the game environment takes the computational and visualisation burden away from the simulation tool and the player. The game has been evaluated in a classroom environment in which a high degree of player engagement with the game was observed, due to its basic game ingredients and activities, i.e., challenge, play and fun. In addition, a clear improvement in learning has been observed in how players attempted to identify solutions that satisfy the pressure criterion with players readily identifying the proximity of the better solutions to the starting, infeasible configuration. Through applications of Serious Gaming such as this, decision makers can learn about the complexity of the water distribution system design problem, experiment safely using a computer model of a real system, understand conflicting objectives (i.e., minimization of cost and satisfaction of minimum pressure) and develop strategies for coping with complexity without being burdened by the limitations of the ICT technology at their disposal.

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Section: Serious Games In Water Systems Planning and Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Toward Classification Of Serious Games For Water Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Serious Games In Water Systems Planning and Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Toward Classification Of Serious Games For Water Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Serious Gaming for Water Systems Planning and Management

Savić

Morley

Khoury

2016

Water

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“…Both the simulation game and the qualitative models were used in stakeholder workshops with representatives of TIs and regional authorities as stakeholders [36]. Besides learning outcomes on acceleration dynamics and strategies, stakeholder feedback allowed for a validation of the developed models as learning tools [37,38], and generated input for further model refinements. In the next sections we zoom in on the qualitative modeling approach in relation to the conceptual framework and case study analysis.…”

Section: Modeling Transition Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accelerating Transition Dynamics in City Regions: A Qualitative Modeling Perspective

Valkering

Yücel

Gebetsroither-Geringer

et al. 2017

Sustainability

Self Cite

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Abstract:In this article, we take stock of the findings from conceptual and empirical work on the role of transition initiatives for accelerating transitions as input for modeling acceleration dynamics. We applied the qualitative modeling approach of causal loop diagrams to capture the dynamics of a single transition initiative evolving within its regional context. In doing so, we aim to address two key challenges in transition modeling, namely conceptualization, and the framing of empirical insights obtained for various case study regions in a consistent modeling framework. Our results show that through this systematic approach one can translate conceptual and qualitative empirical work into a transition model design. Moreover, the causal loop diagrams can be used as discussion tools to support dialogue among researchers and stakeholders, and may support a comparison of transition dynamics across case-study regions. We reflect on main limitations related to empirical model validation (lack of data) and to model structure (high level of aggregation), and describe next steps for moving from a qualitative single transition initiative to a quantitative multiple transition initiatives model.

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Clumsy solutions and climate change: A retrospective

Verweij

2022

WIREs Climate Change

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In 1989, Steve Rayner chided fellow anthropologists for "fiddling while the world warms." This was the starting point of a decades-long application to human-made climate change of the cultural theory that he had developed with Mary Douglas and Michael Thompson. It culminated in a call to develop "clumsy" solutions for addressing the issue. Since then, the concept of clumsy solutions has been applied, praised, and criticised. To clarify its strengths and weaknesses, I first set out cultural theory and explain how the notion of clumsy solutions was derived from it. I then assess the extent to which this notion has increased our understanding of climate change governance. I do so by breaking up the application of this concept into seven predictions, concerning: (1) the major perspectives among stakeholders on how to resolve climate change; (2) the fate of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol; (3) the feasibility of international emissions trading; (4) the possibility of making renewable energy competitive; (5) the need for domestic governmental action to realize this possibility; (6) the effectiveness of a nonbinding global treaty to combat climate change; and (7) the need to explore adaptation, carbon capture, and geoengineering. I show that these predictions have stood the test of time. Finally, I discuss the roles that the concept of clumsy solutions can play in future climate change governance. This article is written in memory of Steve Rayner, one of the first social scientists to focus on climate change.

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Can computer models be used for social learning? A serious game in water management

Cited by 68 publications

References 47 publications

Serious Gaming for Water Systems Planning and Management

Serious Gaming for Water Systems Planning and Management

Accelerating Transition Dynamics in City Regions: A Qualitative Modeling Perspective

Clumsy solutions and climate change: A retrospective

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