Urban Sustainability: A Game-Based Approach

This textbook offers an innovative pedagogy to students, guiding them through experience, processes of complex decision-making, and sharpening their clarity of thought to enhance their communication abilities and develop critical thinking. It provides key competencies to address the complexities of sustainable development and combines game-based learning with an analytical style of education.

Format: Hardback
Length: 266 pages
Publication date: 20 August 2021
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This textbook is a groundbreaking approach to education, designed specifically for students who will shape the policies of tomorrow. It delves into the realm of sustainability, exploring its multifaceted dimensions and offering insightful perspectives. Through an experiential and analytical curriculum, it empowers students to navigate complex decision-making processes, enhancing their clarity of thought and sharpening their communication skills. Moreover, it equips them with essential competencies to address the intricacies of sustainable development. By incorporating game-based learning and an analytical teaching style, the textbook provides supplemental materials to make the definitions of sustainability concepts more concrete. It also offers students the opportunity to experiment in a consequence-free environment, with scenario examples, allowing them to apply their knowledge in real-world situations. Additionally, the textbook includes a board game and a hypothetical management course, which formalize the mathematics needed to make robust decisions in various sustainability-related contexts, such as transportation sustainability and societal metabolism. This comprehensive approach ensures that students are well-prepared to tackle the challenges of the future and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable world.

Introduction:
This textbook is a transformative educational tool, crafted with the vision of equipping students who will assume the roles of future policy makers. It offers a novel pedagogy that fosters innovative thinking and empowers students to navigate the complexities of sustainability. By delving into the multifaceted dimensions of sustainability, the textbook provides valuable insights and perspectives, enabling students to develop a comprehensive understanding of this critical issue.

Sustainability and Its Dimensions:
The textbook explores the concept of sustainability, recognizing its multifaceted nature. It acknowledges that sustainability encompasses various dimensions, including environmental, economic, and social aspects. It emphasizes the importance of considering these dimensions in order to achieve a balanced and sustainable future.

Experiential Learning:
The textbook employs an experiential learning approach, which involves hands-on experiences and practical applications. It encourages students to engage with real-world scenarios and challenges, allowing them to apply their knowledge and skills in a practical context. Through this approach, students develop critical thinking abilities, problem-solving skills, and the ability to make informed decisions.

Complex Decision-Making:
The textbook recognizes the importance of complex decision-making in addressing the challenges of sustainability. It guides students through the process of making decisions that consider multiple stakeholders, ethical considerations, and long-term consequences. By providing tools and techniques for analyzing complex situations, the textbook helps students develop their analytical skills and make informed choices.

Communication Skills:
Sustainable development requires effective communication and collaboration. The textbook emphasizes the development of communication abilities among students, enabling them to articulate their ideas and engage in meaningful conversations. It provides training in effective communication strategies, including public speaking, writing, and visual communication, to help students communicate their sustainability vision effectively.

Critical Thinking:
Critical thinking is a fundamental skill for addressing the complexities of sustainability. The textbook encourages students to develop their critical thinking abilities by challenging assumptions, evaluating evidence, and developing well-supported arguments. It provides opportunities for students to engage in debates, discussions, and problem-solving exercises, which help them refine their critical thinking skills and develop a deeper understanding of sustainability.

Key Competencies:
The textbook equips students with key competencies that are essential for addressing the complexities of sustainable development. These competencies include environmental awareness, sustainable resource management, social responsibility, and ethical decision-making. By acquiring these competencies, students become well-prepared to contribute to the development of sustainable policies and practices.

Game-Based Learning:
To enhance the learning experience, the textbook incorporates game-based learning elements. It uses board games and simulations to engage students and make learning fun and interactive. These games provide a hands-on approach to learning, allowing students to apply their knowledge and skills in a practical and enjoyable way.

Supplemental Materials:
The textbook includes supplemental materials such as case studies, examples, and visual aids to make the definitions of sustainability concepts more concrete and accessible. These materials help students understand the practical applications of sustainability and provide a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with sustainable development.

Board Game and Hypothetical Management Course:
In addition to the textbook, the textbook includes a board game and a hypothetical management course. These resources formalize the mathematics needed to make robust decisions in various sustainability-related contexts, such as transportation sustainability, societal metabolism, and environmental impact assessment. By incorporating these resources, students gain a deeper understanding of the quantitative aspects of sustainability and develop the skills to evaluate and analyze sustainability-related data.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, this textbook provides a comprehensive and innovative approach to education, designed specifically for students who will shape the policies of tomorrow. It offers a holistic understanding of sustainability, equipping students with the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to address the complexities of sustainable development. By combining experiential learning, complex decision-making, communication skills, critical thinking, and game-based learning, the textbook fosters a love for learning and prepares students to make a positive impact on the world.

Weight: 550g
Dimension: 164 x 244 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030670153
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021