The role of simulation and serious games in teaching concepts on circular economy and sustainable energy

[EN] The prevailing need for a more sustainable management of natural resources depends not only on the decisions made by governments and the will of the population, but also on the knowledge of the role of energy in our society and the relevance of preserving natural resources. In this sense, critical work is being done to instill key concepts-such as the circular economy and sustainable energy-in higher education institutions. In this way, it is expected that future professionals and managers will be aware of the importance of energy optimization, and will learn a series of computational methods that can support the decision-making process. In the context of higher education, this paper reviews the main trends and challenges related to the concepts of circular economy and sustainable energy. Besides, we analyze the role of simulation and serious games as a learning tool for the aforementioned concepts. Finally, the paper provides insights and discusses open research opportunities regarding the use of these computational tools to incorporate circular economy concepts in higher education degrees. Our findings show that, while efforts are being made to include these concepts in current programs, there is still much work to be done, especially from the point of view of university management. In addition, the analysis of the teaching methodologies analyzed shows that, although their implementation has been successful in favoring the active learning of students, their use (especially that of serious games) is not yet widespread.This work has been partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science (PID2019-111100RB-C21-C22/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, RED2018-102642-T) and the SEPIE Erasmus+ Program (2019-I-ES01-KA103-062602).Torre-Martínez, MRDL.; Onggo, BS.; Corlu, CG.; Nogal, M.; Juan-Pérez, ÁA. (2021). The role of simulation and serious games in teaching concepts on circular economy and sustainable energy. Energies. 14(4):1-21. https://doi.org/10.3390/en1404113812114

Active learning methodologies at the university classroom

[EN] This paper identifies a set of active learning methodologies, which have in common the consideration of the emotion as a key element for learning. Active learning methodologies are not only intended to awaken emotions but also taught with emotion (Sempere-Ripoll and Rodriguez-Villalobos, 2019). To this extent, different teaching methodologies are used that complement each other, leading to reinforce and consolidate learning. Accordingly, the main aim of this work is to review the different active learning methodologies that can be applied at the university classroom.The authors acknowledge the support from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) through the Projects of Innovation and Educational Improvement ¿La docencia inversa como metodología soporte a metodologías activas de aprendizaje¿ (PIME/21-22/263) and ¿Innovación y mejora educativa aplicada a los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible en la ETSII¿ (PIME/21-22/281).Andres, B.; Sempere-Ripoll, F.; Esteso, A.; Torre-Martínez, MRDL. (2022). Active learning methodologies at the university classroom. EDULEARN Proceedings (Internet). 2927-2935. https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2022.07402927293

Sustainable business model in practice:a digital business game training for high school students

This paper explores the nexus between sustainable business models, education and technology, addressing pressing challenges in economic, social, and environmental spheres. On one hand, education is identified as a key tool for fostering sustainability principles and essential skills for future managers; on the other, businesses, particularly through sustainable business models (SBMs) and evolving digital platforms, play a pivotal role in advancing sustainability goals. The research answer to the need for sustainable development examining the potential of educational business games, blending entertainment and education to engage the 'gamer generation' actively. Considering the growing literature upon sustainable entrepreneurship and business models, the objective of the paper is to implement a digital business game for sustainability education designed to teach high school students how to implement an entrepreneurial activity through a sustainable business model. This study contributes to understanding sustainable business practices and innovative educational approaches, aligning with the global imperative for a sustainable future. In the end of the manuscript some prelaminar result of the game testing phase are presented.</p

CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN INDUSTRY FOR SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY IN INDONESIA: ECO-QURANIC PERSPECTIVE

This article explores the circular economy concept applied in industry for sustainability of environment and energy in Indonesia. Some studies have weaknesses in its application in the economy and business, because of the value of products, materials, and resources that are maintained in the economy on a continuous basis. However, this process does not pay attention to environmental ethics which can cause new problems for humans, especially for sustainable environment and energy. With the eco-Quranic perspective as an approach formulated from the Islamic economic viewpoint, the circular economy is an important part of solving environmental and renewable energy problems in Indonesia. This paper concludes that a circular economy implemented in a circular business model that reuses products, materials, and resources for industrial purposes is the duty of every consumer in making religious values the principle of implementing a circular economy in every production chain in the industry towards sustainability of environment and energ

Rethinking Economy-Building Video Games: How might designers inspire new economic models through video game mechanics?

This study investigates how economic ideas are manifested in the gameplay mechanics of economy-building, strategy, and management video games (in the vein of SimCity). The study investigates the possibility of influencing paradigmatic thinking of wellbeing, growth, and circularity (among others) through the economic models of games and their procedural rhetoric. It explores the assumptions, biases, and ideologies that this subgenre of games expresses as well as the influence this has on players, and future possibilities for integrating pluralist economics, including ecological economics, into gameplay mechanics. This exploration was achieved through eighteen interviews with game designers as well as players with experience in economics. The final synthesis of this study is a prototype toolkit to facilitate game designers’ systematic evaluation of some of the assumptions behind their work in support of efforts to create engaging and entertaining economy-building video games based on some key ecological economics and other new economics themes

Characteristics of High School Physics Problem-Solving Skills and Integrating the PBL Model Assisted by E-Book

This research discusses the implementation of the Problem-Based Learning model assisted by E-Book to improve students' problem-solving skills on renewable energy materials. The purpose of this research is to identify the characteristics of physics problem-solving through the knowledge profile of students at the high school level as a consideration in the application of the PBL model and the use of E-Book assisted learning media to improve problem-solving skills. The research method used is a preliminary study with qualitative descriptive analysis. The instruments used include the problem-solving skills test, interview questionnaire, and student response questionnaire. The data analysis technique in this study used a problem-solving skills test questionnaire and a survey to get responses from students. The findings showed that students' problem-solving skills were generally in the low category. Of the total learners, 87 students were in the low category, 2 students in the medium category, and 1 student in the high category. Although students have been able to understand the problem, they still experience problems in providing answers and checking back due to lack of habit in working on problem-solving-based problems.  Therefore, it is necessary to practice and use learning models, as well as E-Book technology, which can help in the process of teaching and learning activities and increase students' learning motivation. Thus, it is expected that students' problem-solving skills can be improved through the right learning approach and the use of relevant technology

Employee skills for circular business model implementation: A taxonomy

A growing body of scholarship has examined circular business models as a pathway towards sustainability. However, employee skills to support such business models have been largely overlooked. Addressing this research gap, this article proposes a comprehensive skill taxonomy for start-ups embracing circular economy transition. As the first large-N effort to develop a comprehensive skill taxonomy for circular business model implementation, this study uses a clustering analysis of self-reported skill profiles for 2407 staff working in circular start-ups. The taxonomy outlines 40 skills across six categories: business innovation, operations, social dimensions, systems, digitization, and technical issues. Findings suggest that circular business model implementation requires a set of general, sustainable, and circular skills, but some of these skills have been neglected in scholarship. Promoting circular narratives as a framing device for skill development can help advance CE towards mainstream uptake, and this study's taxonomy offers a practical framework for using talent to accelerate CE transition