@inproceedings{4849883b5df34d11aca8a8c91dfaa6ce,
title = "Modding for Change: Promoting Empathy and Agency for Climate Systems",
abstract = "Climate change is a difficult topic for students due to interconnections and feedback among multiple components of the climate system. But many people also disengage from this discussion due to feelings of powerlessness. To engage students with this topic, it is also important for them to feel empathy for those affected and agency to make change. We designed and facilitated a week-long game design workshop for 11 grade 7 students. Students learned about climate change issues, and then modified the game Forbidden Island to engage players in an issue of their choice. Based on observations, interviews, and analyses of students' games, we describe how the game narratives and game mechanics that students created reflected refinements in their reasoning about, and empathy for climate-related issues. ",
keywords = "Climate Change, Constructionism, Game Design, Modding",
author = "Anna Amato and Camillia Matuk and Talia Hurwich",
note = "Funding Information: We thank Yael Ezer, Jason Charles, Joanna Liu, and Kimberly Bernstein who each played critical roles in designing and facilitating the workshop described. We also thank our participating teachers and students, and gratefully acknowledge funding from New York University. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 ACM.; 9th Annual Conference on Maker Education: Making as Resistance and Resilience, FabLearn 2020 ; Conference date: 04-04-2020 Through 05-04-2020",
year = "2020",
month = apr,
day = "4",
doi = "10.1145/3386201.3386230",
language = "English (US)",
series = "ACM International Conference Proceeding Series",
publisher = "Association for Computing Machinery",
pages = "126--129",
booktitle = "Proceedings of FabLearn 2020 - 9th Annual Conference on Maker Education",
}