Comprehending Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with Reflectories

Project funding:

Funded by ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL with financial aid of BMZ

Project description:

One of the big challenges of the recently proclaimed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is their implementation into everyday classroom practice and connect them to the students’ lives. The browser-based learning game „Reflectories“ rises to that challenge by translating the SDGs into decisions students make in everyday life. Starting with short audio stories, students see themselves face a complex, dilemma-like situation. Several options of actions are to be considered, many of them are complex and some of them require the ability to deal with uncertainty. Depending on the learner’s choice of action, the story unravels in a different way, and students are faced with the consequences of their decisions and reflect their choices. In this way, Reflectories foster systems thinking, assessment competencies and competencies of action. (BMZ, KMK 2016)
In this research project, we developed Reflectories for two SDGs and reflected and evaluated them with teacher students. Using reflective diaries and concept mapping, we strive to determine changes in the teacher students’ systems thinking and assessment competency. Group  and focus interviews were used for triangulation.

The Reflectories of SDG 2 „no hunger“ and SDG 11 „sustainable cities and communities“ are available here: www.reflectories.de, other Reflectories are available in 4 languages (Catalan, English, German, Spanish, Turkish) here: www.reflectories.eu

Project partners:

Prof. Dr. Nina Brendel, Institute of Geography, University of Potsdam
Prof. Dr. Gabriele Schrüfer, Institute of Geography Education, University of Münster
Dr. Katja Wrenger, Institute of Geography Education, University of Münster


Project timeline:

Starting February 2016

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Nina Brendel