ORCID Profile
0000-0003-2721-8598
Current Organisations
Australian National University
,
IT University of Copenhagen
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2020
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 27-03-2022
DOI: 10.5194/EGUSPHERE-EGU22-2302
Abstract: & & The need for a climate literate public in the face of anthropogenic climate change is an increasingly urgent and necessary task. Defining what it means to be climate literate is situated between isions of science communication and science education.& On one side, the humanist perspectives of anthropogenic climate change i.e., science risk communication (threats, impacts, and consequences) and, on the other, understanding and sharing in scientific knowledge i.e., science education (the physical and chemical mechanisms that describe Earth& #8217 s climate system in equilibrium). & The USGCRP/NOAA defines climate literacy (CL) as & quot an understanding of your influence on the climate and climate's influence on you and society& quot and a & #8216 & quot climate-literate person understands the essential principles of Earth& #8217 s climate system& quot and, while this CL definition is useful in that it encapsulates the complexity of climate change, drawing in interactions between human actions and the climate system, it positions anthropogenic climate change ahead of the physical science of Earth& #8217 s climate.& Prima facie, the initial emphasis on anthropogenic climate change seems inconsequential.& However, efforts in the public education classroom also frequently prioritise or focus on the threat of impacts and consequences, rather than the physical science mechanisms that drive the climate system, and this focus may have serious implications for improving climate literacy in the broader public arena.& Communicating climate change initially as a threat or as a responsibility, especially to children and adolescents, can have undesirable and polarising psychological effects and may negatively influence other mental health disorders. Psychological effects, such as fear or stress, are known to promote apathy, despair, and feelings of helplessness which undermine collective efforts to address climate change. Recent research suggests, however, that providing young people with a solid understanding of the physical science basis of Earth& #8217 s climate system prior to teaching them about anthropogenic climate change provides them with a context for coping with climate change as they are better able to construct solutions and perceive the climate dilemma as a & #8216 system& #8217 rather than as a nebulous, looming threat.& This paper, therefore, proposes a related, but specific, definition for climate science literacy (CSL) that is scoped to the physical processes that are fundamental to, and underpin, the mechanics of anthropogenic climate change that can be utilised in the classroom. In this way, we are anchoring the physical processes of climate change, and & #8211 distinct from broader climate literacy & #8211 scoping out the complex, dynamic and oftentimes emotive dimension of human influence on the climate system within a knowledge deficit context. We propose, therefore, that the physical science mechanisms that describe Earth& #8217 s climate system form the foundation of all climate literacy programmes.& We further propose that the CSL definition for the classroom & quot is a systematic and integrated understanding of how the natural climate system works in equilibrium, including drivers of natural variation, which forms a foundation for considering the roles of feedback systems and anthropogenic emissions in driving climate change and, therefore, your influence on the climate and climate's influence on you and society& quot .& &
Publisher: Det Kgl. Bibliotek/Royal Danish Library
Date: 04-11-2016
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-09-2020
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 29-05-2018
DOI: 10.1101/333237
Abstract: Although we are in the third decade of climate science communication as a discipline, and there is overwhelming scientific consensus and physical evidence for climate change, the general public continues to wrestle with climate change policy and advocacy. Early adolescence (12 to 13 years old) is a critical but under-researched demographic for the formation of attitudes related to climate change. This paper presents opinions on the worry, cause, and imminence of climate change that were collected from n =463 1 st year secondary school students (12-13 years old) in public secondary schools in inner-urban centres in Austria and Australia. Overall, 86.83% of eligible respondents agreed that climate change was probably or definitely something we should worry about, 80.33% agreed that climate change was probably or definitely caused by humans, and 83.17% agreed that climate change was probably or definitely something that was happening now. The respondents’ opinions were also compared to their respective adult population, with Australian 12-13 year olds showing strong positive climate-friendly attitudes, both in comparison to their adult population, and to their Austrian peers. In addition, although the opinions of Austrian 12-13 year olds were quite high, they did not reflect the higher climate-friendly opinions of their adult community. Our results suggest that socio-cultural worldview or socio-cultural cognition theory may not have the influence on this age group as it does on the respective adult population – and, if they are affected, there are attitudes or factors in this age group which resist the opinion-influence from their mature community. These findings are significant as early adolescents may be pivotal in the climate science communication arena and investigating their opinions with regard to climate change may offer an unexplored and under-utilised target for future communication efforts and climate literacy programmes.
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 27-03-2022
DOI: 10.5194/EGUSPHERE-EGU22-2249
Abstract: & & The 21& sup& st& /sup& century is rapidly shaping up to be one in which technology, particularly information technology (IT), dominates nearly every aspect of human life and, as a result, the demand for a digitally literate and IT-skilled labour force is rapidly increasing. Consequently, education and learning institutions are progressively being required to adopt new media and provide new services to keep pace with the exigencies of this new Information Age. Digital games, in particular, are becoming more widely adopted as they offer unique learning environments that can improve student learning commitment, performance, and enjoyment & #8211 and have a lower environmental burden.& While most digital games, including those for recreation, offer elements of learning, serious digital games are designed to train or educate.& Similarly to recreational games, serious games employ 3D visualisations, rewards, stimulation, and emotional connection, competition and constraint, immediate feedback, cognitive conflict, and interactivity e.g. user-friendly player interfaces or avatars.& In addition, SEGs offer situated and conceptualised learning and training, tailored study, development of mastery, personal and self-esteem development, and provide a tactile online learning experience that can also take place in virtual environments that are inaccessible, dangerous or impractical for players to experience in the real world.& Serious games fall into several categories from broad training games, such as 3D simulations and digital interactions, to serious educational games (SEGs), which are games designed with specific learning outcomes, target domain-specific K-20 content knowledge, and use real-life environments to educate students by incorporating specific a priori pedagogical frameworks to train and instruct. & SEGs are, arguably, the most complex serious games to develop as they need to incorporate recreational game development factors i.e., fun, as well as include the relevant pedagogical and curriculum elements and ensure students are able to understand and achieve the specific learning objectives and goals.& Reconciling recreational game theory (programming, mechanics, dynamics, aesthetics/technical art, story/flow, technology, testing layer experience, etc.) with SEG development (curriculum, learning objectives, pedagogical design, assessment, and monitoring, etc.) can be complex and fraught with conflicts and barriers e.g. making the learning of difficult concepts or tasks fun.& This article presents the development and use of The Planet Academy programme and associated series of SEGs in Denmark, Austria, Sweden, and Australia and proposes a pathway towards reconciling many of the conflicts between recreational and SEGs exploring the conceptualisation, production, pedagogical considerations, and offering a practical, how-to, approach for SEG creation. We demonstrate that SEGs offer a unique, unparalleled medium for learning and offer extraordinary opportunities for improving digital literacy, reducing emissions, cultivating an IT-skilled workforce and, more importantly, drastically increasing student engagement, performance, and learning outcomes in the day-to-day classroom.& &
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-03-2013
Publisher: Det Kgl. Bibliotek/Royal Danish Library
Date: 04-11-2016
No related grants have been discovered for Inez Harker-Schuch.