SDG Challenge with Bright Birds

Teaching Students about the Sustainable Development Goals

The SDG Challenge provides students with the opportunity to learn more about sustainability through the use of gamified challenges.

Using our mobile App, BrightBirds students can apply the theory they've been taught to real life 'challenges' becoming more aware of their behaviour and the influence they have on their immediate and the wider environment. Current issues such as: 'how do we get rid of natural gas?' and 'what do we do with waste?' are reflected in real-life challenges and make students more aware of the sustainable choices they have in life.

The SDG-Challenge is flexible and can be incorporated into the curriculum in several ways.

Challenges

Challenges are a form of active assignments. They can be mandatory or optional. The assignments are received via a push notification on the student's phone. The student then accepts the assignment and completes it individually or in a team.

Coins

Students can earn 'coins' with every SDG assignment they complete. Using the in-app ranking system, students compare their performance against their team and class. The ranking is displayed at individual, group and class level.

Motivation

The 'coins' can be linked to credits or sustainability awards, set-up within a particular module, programme or extra curricular activity. They can also be exchanged for certificates adding an extra layer of motivation to the pedagogical approach.

Using the Bright Birds App

Edumundo offers numerous off-the-shelf challenges that can be implemented within a unit of study, programme or as extra curricular activities. New assignments can also be developed that tie-in with current projects or taught subjects. The number of challenges can vary and be easily customised.

Edumundo offers a number of support services, advice on implementation, lecturer training, helpdesk and evaluations. To this end, we work together with experienced consultant-lecturers trained by Edumundo from well-renowned universities.

Case Study - SDG Challenge at Leiden University

Read our case study with Leiden University. Here, we recap the impact of how academic staff on the Commercial Economics programme used Bright Birds' SDG Challenge to add a gamified learning element during their "SDG week."