The Potential of a Mobile Augmented Reality Game in Education for Sustainability: Report and Analysis of an Activity with the EduCITY App

Abstract

The integration of augmented reality (AR) into education for sustainability curricula not only makes learning more engaging, motivating, and effective, but also equips students with the knowledge and skills to address pressing environmental challenges. This paper presents a case study of a pedagogical approach based on the exploration of an AR game in the EduCITY app and aims to analyse the potential of the ‘EduCITY at the UA Campus’ mobile AR game in what concerns the promotion of education for sustainability among secondary students. The game was explored in the largest annual event of the University of Aveiro—XPERiMENTA—which invited students and the wider community to participate in activities on the campuses. At the end of the activity, an individual and anonymous questionnaire to evaluate the game was applied. Students indicated that the game raises an awareness of sustainability and contributes to the development of knowledge and skills in this area. They were motivated throughout the match and managed to get a good performance out of playing. This study adds to the literature on the use of AR games in education for sustainability, by revealing that it can be an effective tool for engaging and motivating students with sustainability-related learning.