Using Simulations to Interactively Engage Students

By Caroline Reed
November 9, 2020

Climate Interactive’s Ellie Johnston recently led a guest webinar for the Climate Generation organization – a not-for-profit dedicated to enhancing climate education and inspiring youth leadership. During this webinar, Ellie highlighted Climate Interactive’s diverse suite of tools and experiences, and how they are ideal for educators interested in climate education.

Many of Climate Interactive’s group learning experiences are centered around the En-ROADS Climate Solutions Simulator – an open-access, online climate simulator which has been co-developed with the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative. The Mastering En-ROADS training series has been developed as a way for educators and other facilitators to become skilled in leading these events. Throughout the Climate Generation webinar, Ellie explained the nuances of these experiences, showcasing what features they can offer:

Here’s an overview of the different experiences Climate Interactive offers for educators to use:

Experience or eventLengthStyleFocusLearn how to lead it:
The En-ROADS
Climate Workshop
20 – 90 min.Interactive lectureExploring cross-
sector climate
solutions
training plan ➡
The Climate
Action Simulation
1.5 – 4 hours*Role-playing gameExploring cross-
sector climate
solutions
training plan ➡
The En-ROADS
Guided Assignment
1 – 3 hoursVideo tour and
written assignment
Exploring cross-
sector climate
solutions
instructions ➡
The World
Climate Simulation
1.5 – 4 hours*Role-playing gameNational / regional
climate action
training plan ➡
*The Climate Action Simulation and World Climate Simulation can be divided up into multiple sessions to accommodate a longer event.

The effectiveness of these simulations has been illustrated in some of Climate Interactive’s peer-reviewed research. A notable paper led by Dr. Rooney-Varga of the UMass Lowell Climate Change Initiative demonstrated that 83% of En-ROADS Climate Workshop participants feel more likely to take action on climate after participating in a role-playing game. This, and other publications, provide evidence that Climate Interactive’s group learning tools serve as an effective method for both educating participants, and for inspiring meaningful action on climate change.