SErious Game for AgroEcology (SEGAE): How much can be delivered with a 4-hour lesson?

IF 6.1 1区农林科学 Q1 AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Agricultural Systems Pub Date : 2025-01-06 DOI:10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104212

Mireille De Graeuwe, Benjamin Dumont, Kevin Maréchal

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Abstract

CONTEXT

European agriculture faces numerous challenges, and agroecology has emerged as a promising alternative. To facilitate this transition, integrating agroecology into agricultural education is crucial. However, its systemic and interdisciplinary nature makes it difficult to teach and learn. To support teaching, the “SErious Game for AgroEcology” (SEGAE) was developed. SEGAE is a simulated mixed crop–livestock farm model in which players can learn by doing.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to (1) assess the effectiveness of SEGAE in a 4-h lesson led by a single teacher, (2) examine the potential added value of classroom-based lessons compared to a fully online setting, and (3) analyze how students from different disciplinary backgrounds acquire agroecological knowledge.

METHOD

A teacher conducted three identical 4-h lessons using SEGAE, involving undergraduate bioengineering students from four specializations. One lesson was conducted fully online, while the other two were classroom-based. Each lesson included theory, game sessions, and pre- and post-surveys to assess knowledge acquisition. Student scores were converted to percentages and analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and multiple regressions. Feedback on the learning experience was collected through 36 statements related to ‘flow’ – the level of immersion in a task. A two-factor ANOVA and a Tukey test were performed. A PCA explored the flow-knowledge acquisition relationship.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The results show that students significantly increased their knowledge in agroecology. No significant difference between the online and classroom-based lessons on knowledge acquisition could be demonstrated. However, a negative effect was found between the online session and the reported flow levels. A striking result was the increased performance of students upon answering open-ended questions, which required them to articulate knowledge. Moreover, most students enjoyed the game (91 %) and believed it enhanced their agroecology knowledge (92 %).

SIGNIFICANCE

SEGAE, in a 4-h lesson with a single teacher, is a relevant tool for teaching agroecology, achieving comparable results in knowledge acquisition and flow to a longer workshop. The impact is particularly evident in open-ended questions. The study provides complementary evidence of a link between the increase in absolute knowledge and two factors of flow: feedback and social interaction.

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农业生态严肃游戏（SEGAE）： 4小时的课程能传达多少信息？

欧洲农业面临着许多挑战，农业生态学已经成为一个有希望的替代方案。为促进这一转变，将农业生态学纳入农业教育至关重要。然而，它的系统性和跨学科性质使其难以教与学。为了支持教学，开发了“农业生态严肃游戏”（SEGAE）。SEGAE是一款模拟混合作物和牲畜农场模型，玩家可以在其中边做边学。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Agricultural Systems 农林科学-农业综合

CiteScore

13.30

自引率

7.60%

发文量

174

审稿时长

30 days

期刊介绍： Agricultural Systems is an international journal that deals with interactions - among the components of agricultural systems, among hierarchical levels of agricultural systems, between agricultural and other land use systems, and between agricultural systems and their natural, social and economic environments. The scope includes the development and application of systems analysis methodologies in the following areas: Systems approaches in the sustainable intensification of agriculture; pathways for sustainable intensification; crop-livestock integration; farm-level resource allocation; quantification of benefits and trade-offs at farm to landscape levels; integrative, participatory and dynamic modelling approaches for qualitative and quantitative assessments of agricultural systems and decision making; The interactions between agricultural and non-agricultural landscapes; the multiple services of agricultural systems; food security and the environment; Global change and adaptation science; transformational adaptations as driven by changes in climate, policy, values and attitudes influencing the design of farming systems; Development and application of farming systems design tools and methods for impact, scenario and case study analysis; managing the complexities of dynamic agricultural systems; innovation systems and multi stakeholder arrangements that support or promote change and (or) inform policy decisions.