The Effect of Playing "The Climate Trail" on High School Students' Perspectives of Climate Change
School Name
Spring Valley High School
Grade Level
10th Grade
Presentation Topic
Behavioral Science
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
Increasing awareness and information on climate change is among the most important things society can do to avoid a critical crisis in the future. One method of spreading information is through interactive video games. This research project investigated the efficacy of the use of video games to spread information. It was hypothesized that after playing the selected educational game, the participants would give answers on a questionnaire that would suggest a mindset more in favor of acting against climate change due to an increase in knowledge of climate change. For the experiment, high school students were brought to a school computer lab and were instructed to fill out a questionnaire before and after playing the designated video game for roughly 30 minutes. The results of this experiment were analyzed using a paired t-test and it was determined that there was a significant difference between the pre and post-game answers, indicating that the game was an effective means of sharing information on climate change. This research project serves to show the importance of interactive activities in teaching and shaping one’s understanding of a subject.
Recommended Citation
Papaletsos, Michael, "The Effect of Playing "The Climate Trail" on High School Students' Perspectives of Climate Change" (2022). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 19.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2022/all/19
Location
B&E 234
Start Date
4-2-2022 9:30 AM
Presentation Format
Oral and Written
Group Project
No
The Effect of Playing "The Climate Trail" on High School Students' Perspectives of Climate Change
B&E 234
Increasing awareness and information on climate change is among the most important things society can do to avoid a critical crisis in the future. One method of spreading information is through interactive video games. This research project investigated the efficacy of the use of video games to spread information. It was hypothesized that after playing the selected educational game, the participants would give answers on a questionnaire that would suggest a mindset more in favor of acting against climate change due to an increase in knowledge of climate change. For the experiment, high school students were brought to a school computer lab and were instructed to fill out a questionnaire before and after playing the designated video game for roughly 30 minutes. The results of this experiment were analyzed using a paired t-test and it was determined that there was a significant difference between the pre and post-game answers, indicating that the game was an effective means of sharing information on climate change. This research project serves to show the importance of interactive activities in teaching and shaping one’s understanding of a subject.
