Play it cool: development of a digital game-based learning tool for sustainability education

Digital Game Based Learning (DGBL) utilizes enjoyable digital game’s features to engage users and enhance the learning process. DGBLs are used to convey many complex concepts; environmental sustainability and climate change are among them. From a literature review, we noticed that DGBLs are often built in game design frameworks, but they improve their efficacy when also learning theories are considered. One of the most accredited theories in this field is theSelf-Determination Theory and its stress on players’ needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness. The present work describes a novel DGBL tool, named “Play it Cool”, and discusses the process that led to its design and development as an example of how game design frame works and learning theories can be combined. Developed by an interdisciplinary team (psychologists, educators, computerscientists, expert of the content), in this paper we will illustrate how the game mechanics embedded into Play it Cool are structured to enhance their effectiveness.