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The Cranky Uncle Game--Combining Humor and Gamification to Build Student Resilience against Climate Misinformation
- Source :
-
Environmental Education Research . 2023 29(4):607-623. - Publication Year :
- 2023
-
Abstract
- Misinformation about climate change is a consequential societal issue, causing polarization and reduced support for climate action. However, the seriousness of the problem does not preclude non-serious solutions. There are numerous potential benefits to humor as a strategy to counter misinformation, such as attracting attention and engaging disengaged audiences. This paper describes a humorous serious game--"Cranky Uncle"--developed in the U.S. to inoculate players against climate misinformation. The game combines psychological research into active inoculation, critical-thinking work on misleading rhetorical techniques, communication research into cartoon debunking, and gamification. The game's cartoon humor and the creative potential of active inoculation lends it to classroom applications; educators have thus used classroom activities to complement the game in order to improve students' climate literacy and critical-thinking abilities. We present several qualitative U.S.-based case studies, in formal English-speaking tertiary classrooms and informal public education settings, to illustrate the utility of a humorous, game-based approach to building resilience against climate misinformation. The approaches adopted in our case studies are offered as a model for other educators looking to use interactive games to teach critical thinking.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1350-4622 and 1469-5871
- Volume :
- 29
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- ERIC
- Journal :
- Environmental Education Research
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- EJ1380291
- Document Type :
- Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2085671