Page - 134 - in Critical Issues in Science, Technology and Society Studies - Conference Proceedings of the 17th STS Conference Graz 2018

Simplycycle is a simulation game developed to teach the principles of an eco-effective design (Eser 2012). In three levels of increasing complexity the participants learn how to set the course for a cyclical metabolism. Serious games provide a special learning experience and make it easy for players to try out new patterns of activities. The aim is to trigger ideas to make products beneficial and to help players to reflect the own mindset concerning sustainability. This simulation game is used in every class. The game was tested during an Erasmus project with students from four different countries and was considered an innovative teaching instrument, and in another test using it for language training students presented a high degree of involvement and were deeply immersed (Suparam & Sturza 2017). Main benefit of this simulation game from observation in class is that it stimulates discussions and exchange of knowledge as well as out-of-the-box-thinking. It is therefore a good tool to help the students reflect on the concept of the positive footprint and test different sustainable solutions. Examples from class In teaching Circular Design, different reception of the concept of the positive footprint by the students were noticeable, depending on their previous knowledge in sustainable design. During winter semester 2017, two identical courses were held in circular design for a Bachelor third semester, newcomers in sustainable design, and Master first semester class with prior knowledge in ecodesign. Both classes got the same training with same amount of hours. Their task in circular design class was to map beneficial aspects of a project idea. Students of the bachelor class did this with their semester project, modular urban elements made out of recycled plastic. While the bachelor course completed it with best grades, students of the master class struggled with the concepts of the positive footprint. Main differences could be observed in lacking assessment of circularity of materials and problems to translate the concept of being beneficial in own ideas. These students showed typical ecodesign choices, so e.g. to reduce the content of plastics and replace it with grass, which would mix a technical with a biological material inseparable and is not a good idea for circular design. Aspects like reduced use of energy or reduced amount of waste were named as additional benefits, but these aspects are usually standards in ecodesign. To grasp the concept of the positive footprint was problematic was problematic for those students. Also de Pauw et al. observed that groups of students dealing with an ecodesign task focused more on analyzing hot spots of current products and reducing the product’s environmental impacts, while Cradle to Cradle challenged the groups to think of beneficial effects (De Pauw et al. 2014). The observations suggest that students who have not been taught in ecodesign before can use the mental framework of the positive footprint easier to come up with interesting sustainable design solutions. Impartiality seems to make it easier to adopt the new mental model and theories, while trained students first have to kind of unlearn the strategies of ecodesign to start with thinking about a positive footprint. 134