Future Delta 2.0 is an augmented reality “edutainment” game created by University of British Columbia researchers to teach children in Delta, British Columbia about climate change. Set in 2100, the player enters into a dystopian Delta. The future version of their community is facing food shortages, inflation, increased pollution, and an influx of environmental refugees due to sea-level rise, storm surges, heat waves, blackouts and forest fires due to the inadequate policies directed at addressing the climate crisis. Using a VR headset, the player is able to explore the worst-case scenario by walking down their own street and through their own backyard before they travel back in time with the goal of preventing such a future. The player becomes an agent for change and can test out different mitigation or adaptation solutions to view the impact such actions may have. The ultimate goal is to educate users about the dire effects of climate change, abiding by curriculum mandates, while instilling the themes of civic engagement and environmental responsibility in the hopes of inspiring users to become a part of the climate change communication process. Future Delta 2.0 was tested in Delta schools from September 2014 to June 2015, and has since become a tool in the curriculum. Real-time exploration and querying of local climate change scenarios in the users actual neighbourhood is unprecedented, but is currently only available in Delta, British Columbia. Immersive reality games like this could be adapted for many different places for many different curriculums- paving the way for a future of augmented reality education.
Wu, J.S. and Lee, J.J., 2017. Using Drama and Gaming to Address Climate Change. Teaching Climate Change to Adolescents: Reading, Writing, and Making a Difference, p.99.
Learn more and download the game here:
Iype, D. M. Download Game. (2015). Retrieved from http://futuredelta2.ca/resources/
Iype, D. M. About. (2015). Retrieved from http://futuredelta2.ca/about-future-delta/
Categories
Aesthetic/Leisure, Climate Change, Immersive Technology, Psychology
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