Creating interactive SDG classrooms through Augmented Reality

The need to keep the track of the global scale changes, diversity of society, and the increasing amount of knowledge and trends of Industrial Revolution 5, increase demand to advance education lev...

It was expected to support NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training – persons who are unemployed and not receiving an education or vocational training) to Mainstreaming education for teaching the Sustainable Development Goals by empowering schools to use Augmented Reality techniques in their educational practices thus developing, creating and implementing innovative SDG classrooms. The objectives of the project were the following: • To create a strong partnership that is based on learning from each other, that strengthens the capacity of involved partner organisations and their local, national and international networks; • To create opportunities for involved partner organizations and professionals to develop themselves as supporters and creators of the innovative learning processes for young people by using AR techniques; • To develop two project results that support mainstreaming of education for SDGs in an interactive and engaging manner involving digital tools that are open and accessible for schools, teachers and other stakeholders; • To design and facilitate one Learning Mobility to equip and empower involved professionals with self-confidence and needed competencies to innovate their practices.

The need to keep the track of the global scale changes, diversity of society, and the increasing amount of knowledge and trends of Industrial Revolution 5, increase demand to advance education level and acquire new teacher roles. European Union (EU) has announced and placed themselves in a frontline to implement Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It has an ambitious policy programme to deliver on sustainability in the EU and beyond. SDGs are an intrinsic part of the political guidelines and lie at the heart of policymaking across all sectors. Unfortunately, COVID- 19 pandemic has negatively affected SDG implementation progress. In order to support the SDG implementation, placing it back on a track, different stakeholders and social groups have to work together. It is crucial to mainstream education for the SDGs by engaging schools (teachers, pupils), future teachers, parents and society. One significant obstacle to successfully implementing SDGs in schools is lack of resources and educational / pedagogical initiatives. The project team considers that it’s essential to make the SDGs easy to understand, engaging, relevant for personal and common well-being and action-focused so that society is aware of how they can contribute.

The concrete outputs of the project are: 1. Created an AR game that enhances the learning of 2030 Agenda in schools in order to create innovative, interactive and playful SDGs classrooms. The game is available in English, Spanish, Latvian, Italian, Greek, Dutch. The application can be downloaded through the project website or by scanning the QR code in the booklet. It consists of 20 scenarios about the mobile phones and SDGs: The benefits of using mobile phones; Mobile phones in schools; Critical raw materials; Is my mobile phone made by conflict resources or child labor? Mobile phone, removing physical barriers to healthcare-Keep healthy with your mobile; Mobile phone associated mental problems; The environmental impact of my mobile phone; Technology solutions to save your life; Physical illnesses caused by an excessive use of the mobile phone; Solutions for the environment; Solutions for the well-being; Solutions for SDGs actions. Each scenario includes: - an informative text/video - a multiple-choice question (three possible answers/one of them is correct) - a feedback text as explained in the previous section Regarding the multiple-choice question, each correct answer equals 5 points. Thus, the maximum points that a user can collect are 100. Each image/scenario can only be scanned once. Upon completion of the game (all scenarios answered), a trophy demonstrated as AR face filter is awarded. Based on the number of correct answers, a different trophy appears. In order to collect feedback about the likeability of the game, users are able to rate their experience in the results page through a 5-star scale. Additionally, there was created also the “Global Impact Exhibition and the Disappearance of Dr. Carter” digital escape game to raise awareness about the SDGs. Players engage in problem-solving, making the game an engaging and educational experience. The target audience for the game is teenagers aged 14 to 16. The objectives of the game are: 1. to promote students’ awareness about the Sustainable Development Goals; 2. to encourage critical thinking; 3. to show the role of technology in achieving the Goals. The escape game can be digital or hybrid, if the tasks in the checkpoints are printed. With the digital version, the players need their mobile phones and internet connection to play. To win the game, players must solve the mystery of Dr. Carter’s disappearance. To achieve that, the players have to repair the damaged exhibits in six checkpoints. Each checkpoint deals with one or two SDGs. Goals 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 13, and 16 are included in the game. Upon finishing the game, players will know more about each Goal and will understand the need for collective action for achieving the SDGs. 2. developed Teacher’s Handbook – methodological guidelines (in English and translated into Spanish, Latvian, Italian, Greek, Dutch) that support the implementation of modern, interactive and effective SDGs classrooms by using AR technologies. The purpose of this document is to introduce the topic of the SDGs and to propose initiatives to teachers to pass on to their students so that they can become the protagonists of change. In order to engage students in learning about the SDGs, this Teacher’s Handbook explains the SDGs around the figure of an everyday element that is well known to them, the mobile phone. The Handbook also includes some methodology approaches for education for sustainable development. The Handbook comprises 85 pages and contains three modules: Module 1 – Introduction to SDGs Module 2 – An approach to education for sustainable development Module 3 – My mobile and the SDGs 3.1. My mobile Sub-topic 3.1.1. – Benefits of using mobile phones Sub-topic 3.1.2. – Mobile phones in schools Sub-topic 3.1.3. – Mobile Phones and Activism 3.2. The mobile phone lifecycle Sub-topic 3.2.1. – Critical Raw Materials Sub-topic 3.2.2. – The socio-economic impact of my mobile phone Sub-topic 3.2.3. – The environmental impact of my mobile phone 3.3. Health and wellbeing Sub-topic 3.3.1. – Mobile phone, removing physical barriers to healthcare Sub-topic 3.3.2. – Mobile phone mental problems associated Sub-topic 3.3.3. – Physical illnesses caused by an excessive use of the mobile phone 3.4. Let’s take action / solutions Sub-topic 3.4.1. – Solutions for the environment Sub-topic 3.4.2. – Solutions for the wellbeing Sub-topic 3.4.3. – Solutions for SDG actions 3. SDG in Classroom Activities - This document complements the Handbook by suggesting practical activities correspond to the theoretical principles covered in the Handbook. In the classroom, these activities foster critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and effective communication. 46 pages (in English and translated into Spanish, Latvian, Italian, Greek, Dutch) 4. SDG in Classroom AR – Guide for Teachers - This document is a manual that will allow teachers to become familiar with the use of AR applications, immersive technology, as well as the power of Game-Based Learning to create an engaging learning environment. 23 pages (in English and translated into Spanish, Latvian, Italian, Greek, Dutch) On the completion of the project the following results should be listed: • 338 teachers and educators from 6 partner organizations coming from 5 countries are equipped with self-confidence and gained needed competences and skills to innovate their teaching practices working on SDGs by using ICT (AR) technologies. • 402 teachers and educators have developed competences to use digital tools in their daily work with young people. • 363 teachers and educators have used opportunities provided by the project for their professional development, gained experience to work in local and international teams as well as to learn together, exchange ideas, experiences and tools with teachers / educators from other countries. • Innovative and appealing SDG classrooms are created in schools in 5 project countries. 448 teachers and educators are equipped with innovative and appropriate tools to work on the 2030 Agenda in their schools and communities. • 492 students (age 14-19) are aware of the 2030 Agenda and its global and local context, they are motivated and interested to work on various SDG topics using developed AR game. Students have gained knowledge, skills and needed attitude to act locally in order to boost sustainable development for their community and globally. • Developed results (Rs) have been tested in 38 schools, 12 university and 13 non-formal education fields (youth associations, youth centres). This provides more insights on how developed Rs work with different target groups and in different fields. • 75 participating organisations and schools have strengthened their capacities, have equipped and empowered staff, and a trustworthy transnational team for new corporations. • Local communities in 5 project countries are more aware of the 2030 Agenda and their role to create a hopeful future. They support the work of teachers, schools and the other way around. • 12 European school education and youth fields are aware of the project and its results. Its positive impact has motivated other teachers, schools and youth associated to use developed Rs and other project results.