Game4Change: Digital Educational Games for Climate ChangeHarokopio University | Focus Groups with Academics & Stakeholders - XENIOS POLIS

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As part of the European project Game4Change, which aims to utilize digital educational games (digital serious games) to enhance environmental education in higher education, two consecutive focus groups were held at Harokopio University, involving both students and researchers as well as professionals from the public and private sectors.

1st Session (April 3, 2025) – Academics

The first session was held in Room A2 of the Department of Economics and Sustainable Development and brought together ten members of the academic community (students, PhD candidates, and researchers). The discussion focused on exploring the role of digital serious games as educational tools, as well as the pedagogical needs and challenges of environmental education.

Participants emphasized the importance of experiential learning, connecting academic content to real-life social realities, and embracing differentiated instruction. The use of digital games was seen as particularly promising, even though most participants had no prior exposure, highlighting their potential to foster critical thinking, collaboration, and engagement in realistic scenarios. Key barriers included limited infrastructure, lack of faculty training, and challenges in formal curricular integration.

2nd Session (May 8, 2025) – Professionals & Stakeholders

The second session took place in Room B4 and brought together twelve professionals from local government, NGOs, public bodies, academia, and sustainability consulting. The focus shifted toward the intersection of environmental education and real-world policy, business, and local action.

A shared priority was linking theory to practice and emphasizing the tangible environmental impacts of human activity. Scientific literacy, political awareness, and the use of ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) indicators were central themes.

Digital educational games were again acknowledged as powerful tools for simulation-based learning, inclusion, and engagement. However, participants voiced serious concerns about institutional bureaucracy, lack of collaborative culture, and the need for legislative reform to facilitate their integration into curricula.

Key Findings

The two focus groups revealed a number of converging themes:

• A strong need for experiential, differentiated, and interactive learning, with an emphasis on real-world application and cultivating environmental awareness.
• Digital educational games offer a unique bridge between theory and practice, especially in environmental education, but require institutional support and faculty training.
• Sustainability of innovation depends on active institutional involvement, adequate infrastructure, effective collaboration, and impact assessment through both quantitative and qualitative indicators.
• Networking and international collaboration through initiatives such as Erasmus, the development of digital platforms, and co-learning environments are considered key strategies.

Next Steps

The Game4Change project is now advancing to the design and pilot implementation phase of educational games, grounded in the findings of these focus groups. The active participation of students, educators, and stakeholders will be critical to its success.

For more information:
🌐 game4change.online
📍 Harokopio University of Athens – Department of Economics and Sustainable Development