sus ainabili y
A icle
Assessmen o he De elopmen o P o essional Skills
in Uni e si y S uden s: Sus ainabili y and
Se ious Games
Noemi Peña Miguel 1,* , Ja ie Co al Lage 1and Ana Ma a Galindez 2
1Financial Economics I, Uni e si y o he Basque Coun y (UPV/EHU), 48015 Bilbao, Spain;
ja ie [email p o ec ed]
2Co po a e Social Responsibili y, Cama a Bilbao Business School, 48008 Bilbao, Spain;
[email p o ec ed]
*Co espondence: [email p o ec ed]
Recei ed: 31 Decembe 2019; Accep ed: 26 Janua y 2020; Published: 31 Janua y 2020
Abs ac :
In his s udy, we analyze he de elopmen o key p o essional skills o sus ainabili y
(KPSS) in uni e si y s uden s using se ious games (SG) om a sus ainabili y pe spec i e. Sus ainable
De elopmen Goals (SDGs) we e se by he Uni ed Na ions’ 2030 Agenda o Sus ainable De elopmen .
Uni e si ies a e s a egic agen s in he ans o ma ion p ocess owa ds sus ainabili y. Thus, uni e si ies
should be commi ed o p omo ing such skills in hei s uden s h ough sus ainable cu icula by
implemen ing ac i e me hodologies and using SG o ha pu pose. KPSS a e essen ial o he
de elopmen o u u e g adua es. The aim o his s udy is o de e mine wha KPSS ha e o be
de eloped h ough he SG “The Island”, in o de o imp o e he deg ee o sa is ac ion owa ds
he inco po a ion o a sus ainable cu iculum among he s uden s. The da a we e ob ained using
a ques ionnai e and hen analyzed using linea eg ession models, wi h hei in e ences es ima ed
h ough a goodness o i es and ANOVA. The i s esul s indica ed ha implemen a ion o he
SG p omo ed a s eng hening o he s uden s
'
sus ainable cu iculum h ough he de elopmen o
ela ed skills. I was concluded ha he key o success in educa ion o sus ainable de elopmen
is o imp o e he de elopmen o s a egic hinking, collabo a i e hinking, and sel -awa eness, in
addi ion o encou aging sys emic, c i ical, and p oblem-sol ing hinking.
Keywo ds:
ac i e lea ning; p o essional skills; ci ic educa ion; highe educa ion, se ious games;
c i ical hinking; sus ainabili y; EDS compe ences
1. In oduc ion and S a e o Play
1.1. In oduc ion
The concep o sus ainabili y eme ged in he 1960s in esponse o conce ns abou en i onmen al
deg ada ion esul ing om poo esou ce managemen . As he en i onmen became inc easingly
impo an as a wo ld issue, sus ainabili y was adop ed as a common poli ical goal. In 1960, he
O ganiza ion o Economic Coope a ion and De elopmen (OECD) was c ea ed o p omo e policies
ha would achie e ‘ he highes sus ainable economic g ow h and employmen in Membe coun ies in
o de o s imula e employmen and inc ease li ing s anda ds’ [1].
Sus ainabili y policy e e s o a se o ideas o plans abou wha o do in pa icula si ua ions,
which ha e been ag eed upon o icially by a g oup o people, a business o ganiza ion, a go e nmen ,
o a poli ical pa y. Sus ainabili y policy is impo an a he ins i u ional, co po a e, egional, s a e, and
alliance le els. Policy can be locally, na ionally, o in e na ionally o ien ed and can add ess issues such
as sus ainable de elopmen , clima e change, ai , wa e , was e, and heal h [2].
Sus ainabili y 2020,12, 1014; doi:10.3390/su12031014 www.mdpi.com/jou nal/sus ainabili y
Sus ainabili y 2020,12, 1014 2 o 18
In 1980, he Wo ld Conse a ion S a egy was eleased by he In e na ional Union o he
Conse a ion o Na u e. This s a egy de ines he ‘main agen s o habi a des uc ion and en i onmen al
deg ada ion as po e y, popula ion p essu e, social inequi y and he e ms o ade’. Sus ainable
de elopmen was de ined as he main enance o essen ial ecological p ocesses and li e suppo sys ems,
including hose o humans. I emphasizes he e olu ion o human socie y om a esponsible economic
poin o iew, in acco dance wi h en i onmen al and na u al p ocesses [2].
Du ing he pas cen u y, and he ea ly decades o he new one, impo an s eps ha e been
aken o suppo sus ainable de elopmen . The mos ecen e o , The 2030 Agenda o Sus ainable
De elopmen , p epa ed by he Gene al Assembly o he Uni ed Na ions, es ablished Sus ainable
De elopmen Goals (SDGs), which indica e he mos impo an de elopmen challenges o humani y,
in o de o ensu e a sus ainable, peace ul, p ospe ous, and equi able li e o all indi iduals, no only in
he p esen bu also in he u u e. These objec i es conside a se ies o social needs, including educa ion,
heal h, social p o ec ion, and job oppo uni ies, in addi ion o clima e change and en i onmen al
p o ec ion. To achie e a mo e sus ainable wo ld and mee all he goals se in he SDGs, indi iduals
should become agen s o change, acqui ing knowledge, skills, alues, and becoming engaged in
beha io s ha empowe hem o con ibu e o sus ainable de elopmen h ough key p o essional skills
o sus ainabili y (KPSS) [3].
Uni e si ies, which a e unde s ood as essen ial agen s in he ans o ma ion p ocess owa ds
sus ainabili y, a e commi ed o p omo ing hese KPSS in hei s uden s. The e o e, including
he p omo ion o a sus ainable cu iculum in uni e si y cu icula, he implemen a ion o ac i e
me hodologies in he class ooms, and he use o new in o ma ion and communica ion echnologies
(ICTs)—such as business simula o s o ‘se ious games’ (SG)—a e mechanisms a ge ed a aining he
s uden s in KPSS o achie e SDGs and o ensu e ha hey will acqui e he necessa y heo e ical and
p ac ical knowledge o p omo e sus ainable de elopmen .
KPSS ep esen skills ha a e necessa y o all u u e g adua es and can be unde s ood as
ans e sal, mul i unc ional, and con ex -independen . They do no eplace he speci ic compe encies
needed o ac success ully in some si ua ions and con ex s, bu hey do con ex ualize hem and gi e
hem a b oade scope [
4
,
5
]. S uden s in Economics and Business a e ained o decision-making
in o ganiza ions. In he nea u u e, hese s uden s will ha e o combine hei decisions wi h he
achie emen o SDGs, and o his, hey will need o be nu u ed by human esou ces, whe e KPSS
ha e been de eloped h ough sus ainable cu icula.
The pu pose o his a icle is o assess he KPSS ha should be de eloped h ough a Se ious
Game (SG) called “ he Island” o imp o e he deg ee o s uden sa is ac ion wi h he inco po a ion o
sus ainable cu icula. We ha e con ibu ed o he li e a u e by assessing which o he essen ial skills
o sus ainabili y p oposed by UNESCO can be de eloped by s uden s a e engaging in SG.
Indeed, he e is no consensus abou he in luence o se ious games on he sus ainabili y knowledge
o s uden s, mainly because he e is no o e all consensus. The esul s o s udies ela ed o he e olu ion
o SG o sus ainabili y a e inconclusi e. Some esea che s did no ind s a is ically speci ic di e ences
in ol ing he use o SG. Howe e , [6] ound a posi i e ela ionship be ween SG and sus ainabili y.
Ou goal is o assess, h ough linea eg ession models (wi h in e ences es ima ed h ough a
goodness o i es and ANOVA) he po en ial o SG as e-lea ning ools o p omo ing KPSS in
he class oom.
1.2. S a e o Play
1.2.1. Educa ion o Sus ainable De elopmen
Educa ion o Sus ainable De elopmen (ESD) is a holis ic and ans o ma i e educa ional
app oach [
7
]. I add esses he con en and esul s o ac i e lea ning, pedagogy, and he lea ning
en i onmen , in o de o e ol e om eaching o lea ning and o ansi ion om an ins uc ional o a
ans o ma i e pedagogical dimension [
8
]. In his way, he s uden s ake ac ion h ough collabo a i e,
Sus ainabili y 2020,12, 1014 3 o 18
pa icipa o y, and sel -di ec ed lea ning. By means o ci ic educa ion, s uden s a e empowe ed and
s a making conscious decisions and ac ing esponsibly, wi hou losing sigh o he economic, social,
and en i onmen ally sus ainable de elopmen o omo ow [9,10].
Be ween 2005 and 2014, he Uni ed Na ions began p omo ing changes in s uden s’ knowledge,
alues, and beha io s, wi h he pu pose o achie ing a mo e sus ainable socie y. This p ojec was
called he Uni ed Na ions Decade o Educa ion o Sus ainable De elopmen [11].
Th oughou he las ew decades, he in e na ional ecogni ion o Educa ion o Sus ainable
De elopmen (ESD) as a key app oach o achie ing sus ainable de elopmen has been inc easing
s eadily and was e e enced in he h ee summi s on sus ainable de elopmen : he 1992 Uni ed Na ions
Con e ence on En i onmen and De elopmen (UNCED) in Rio de Janei o [
12
], he 2002 Wo ld Summi
on Sus ainable De elopmen (WSSD) in Johannesbu g [
13
], and he 2012 Uni ed Na ions Con e ence
on Sus ainable De elopmen (UNCSD) in Rio de Janei o [
14
]. In addi ion, i is wo h men ioning
ha A icle 12 o he 2016 Pa is Ag eemen acknowledges he impo ance o educa ion in achie ing
a sus ainable plane [
10
]. ESD is concei ed o as educa ion ha occu s h oughou li e. This way, i
de elops in bo h o mal and in o mal ins i u ions and ex ends om kinde ga en o uni e si y [15].
I we ocus on uni e si y educa ion, du ing he Ibe o–Ame ican Con e ence on SDGs, [
16
]
emphasized he ans o ma i e ole o uni e si ies, which a e pe cei ed as an ecosys em ha educa es,
ansmi s knowledge and skills, in es iga es, inno a es, and seeks solu ions. These p ocesses a e based
on p inciples like educa ion o peace and social jus ice.
When we discuss sus ainable de elopmen and conside wha i has en ailed and wha i will
en ail, a p o ound ans o ma ion is equi ed, no only in ou belie s and pe cep ions, bu also in he
cu en beha io s o young indi iduals [
17
–
19
]. Lea ning o do and o be equi es o al in ol emen in
he change and ans o ma ion o ou socie y. Thus, s uden s should become ac i e agen s o change.
We should no e ha , om his pe spec i e, educa ion is c ucial o achie ing SDGs [10,20].
Boko a, Di ec o -Gene al o UNESCO, indica ed ha “A undamen al change is needed in he
way we hink abou he ole o educa ion in wo ld de elopmen , because i has a ca aly ic e ec on
he well-being o indi iduals and he u u e o ou plane . [...] Now, mo e han e e , educa ion is
esponsible o aking in o conside a ion he challenges and aspi a ions o he 21s cen u y, as well as
p omo ing he igh ypes o KPSS ha will lead o sus ainable and inclusi e g ow h, and o a peace ul
li e o all indi iduals” [10].
ESD allows s uden s o ace e hical p oblems in which hey ha e o decide wha s anda ds
and codes socie y should de elop o ame human ac ions o g ea e economic well-being while
main aining he na u al en i onmen . Thus, s uden s will ha e o assess and de elop a code o e hics
o sus ainabili y when deciding which esou ces o use o economic, social, and en i onmen al
challenges, bo h in he class oom and in eal li e [21].
The e o e, a s and o wo k has also emphasized he need o esea ch in he de elopmen o
p o essional skills in educa ion. The ca ee p o ile o e e y indi idual should no be based solely on
unc ions bu on skills, since a p o essional wi h a mo e open, e sa ile cha ac e and wi h a g ea e
capaci y o lexibili y and adap a ion o speci ic si ua ions is equi ed, especially in he inancial and
insu ance sec o [
22
]. The a ainmen o hese p o essional skills will help o maximize he e ec i eness
o a company [23,24].
The majo i y o indi iduals acqui e highly speci ic skills du ing hei academic aining, depending
on he deg ee s udied. Howe e , a p esen , companies also demand aining in ans e sal o gene ic
skills ha a e sui able o p o essional pe o mance. Mo eo e , companies a e p esen ly seeking ou
people wi h KPSS. Fo his eason, his pape a emp s o con ibu e o he li e a u e by assessing he
de elopmen o KPSS h ough Se ious Games (SG). Tha is, we seek o de e mine i he use o he
Se ious Game called « The Island » can p omo e a s eng hening o he s uden s
´
sus ainable cu iculum
o de eloping KPSS.
Sus ainabili y 2020,12, 1014 4 o 18
1.2.2. Sus ainable De elopmen Goals
On 25 h Sep embe 2015, he Uni ed Na ions Gene al Assembly adop ed he 2030 Agenda o
Sus ainable De elopmen . This Agenda esul ed om wo k pe o med o mo e han h ee yea s
a e he Uni ed Na ions Con e ence on En i onmen and De elopmen , held in Rio de Janei o, B azil,
in June 2012. Membe S a es we e in ol ed, wi h he pa icipa ion o millions o indi iduals in a
pa icipa o y ci izenship p ocess.
The uni e sali y and he indi isibili y o he 2030 Agenda a e c ucial aspec s o i s de elopmen .
The signa o y coun ies commi ed o aligning hei indi idual commi men s wi h he uni e sal,
ans o ma i e, and inclusi e objec i es o he 2030 Agenda [
10
]. The pu pose o he 17 objec i es wi h
hei 169 goals is o ensu e a sus ainable, peace ul, equi able, and p ospe ous li e o all inhabi an s o
ou plane , bo h now and in he u u e. We a e cu en ly acing global challenges ha a ec e e yone
(i.e., he su i al o ou species). En i onmen al limi s and h esholds o na u al esou ces should
hus be es ablished, and po e y e adica ion ac ions should be aligned wi h economic de elopmen
s a egies, wi hou o ge ing social needs and clima e change [10].
The spi i o he 2030 Agenda is based on 17 Sus ainable De elopmen Goals, which summa ize
he ac ions o be pe o med o e he nex ew yea s by public adminis a ions, p i a e companies,
non-p o i en i ies, uni e si ies, and ci izens in gene al (Figu e 1). In o de o achie e hese objec i es,
he di e en pa icipan s (e.g., p i a e companies, public adminis a ions, ci il socie y, and e e y
ci izen) mus mee hei commi men s [
25
]. I we ocus on he speci ic ield o ac ion o highe educa ion,
we can obse e ha uni e si ies play an impo an ole in mul i-s akeholde alliances, in addi ion o
leading by example. Uni e si ies a e, he e o e, pionee s wi h espec o he SDG p oposals [16,26].
Sus ainabili y 2020, 1, x FOR PEER REVIEW 4 o 20
Sus ainabili y 2020, 1, x; doi: FOR PEER REVIEW www.mdpi.com/jou nal/sus ainabili y
On 25 h Sep embe 2015, he Uni ed Na ions Gene al Assembly adop ed he 2030 Agenda o
Sus ainable De elopmen . This Agenda esul ed om wo k pe o med o mo e han h ee yea s
a e he Uni ed Na ions Con e ence on En i onmen and De elopmen , held in Rio de Janei o, B azil,
in June 2012. Membe S a es we e in ol ed, wi h he pa icipa ion o millions o indi iduals in a
pa icipa o y ci izenship p ocess.
The uni e sali y and he indi isibili y o he 2030 Agenda a e c ucial aspec s o i s de elopmen .
The signa o y coun ies commi ed o aligning hei indi idual commi men s wi h he uni e sal,
ans o ma i e, and inclusi e objec i es o he 2030 Agenda [10]. The pu pose o he 17 objec i es
wi h hei 169 goals is o ensu e a sus ainable, peace ul, equi able, and p ospe ous li e o all
inhabi an s o ou plane , bo h now and in he u u e. We a e cu en ly acing global challenges ha
a ec e e yone (i.e., he su i al o ou species). En i onmen al limi s and h esholds o na u al
esou ces should hus be es ablished, and po e y e adica ion ac ions should be aligned wi h
economic de elopmen s a egies, wi hou o ge ing social needs and clima e change [10].
The spi i o he 2030 Agenda is based on 17 Sus ainable De elopmen Goals, which summa ize
he ac ions o be pe o med o e he nex ew yea s by public adminis a ions, p i a e companies,
non-p o i en i ies, uni e si ies, and ci izens in gene al (Figu e 1). In o de o achie e hese objec i es,
he di e en pa icipan s (e.g., p i a e companies, public adminis a ions, ci il socie y, and e e y
ci izen) mus mee hei commi men s [25]. I we ocus on he speci ic ield o ac ion o highe
educa ion, we can obse e ha uni e si ies play an impo an ole in mul i-s akeholde alliances, in
addi ion o leading by example. Uni e si ies a e, he e o e, pionee s wi h espec o he SDG
p oposals [16,26].
Figu e 1. Sus ainable De elopmen Goals. Sou ce: adap ed om [25].
Uni e si ies can p omo e esea ch ac i i ies ha en ail he subsequen ans e o knowledge
and he eby sensi ize ci izens o hese SDGs. The ways h ough which hese goals can be achie ed
should be se c ea i ely by each ins i u ion. Fo example, he Con e ence o Rec o s o Spanish
Uni e si ies (CRUE) aces he challenge o aising awa eness among i s s uden s [27].
Figu e 1. Sus ainable De elopmen Goals. Sou ce: adap ed om [25].
Uni e si ies can p omo e esea ch ac i i ies ha en ail he subsequen ans e o knowledge and
he eby sensi ize ci izens o hese SDGs. The ways h ough which hese goals can be achie ed should
Sus ainabili y 2020,12, 1014 5 o 18
be se c ea i ely by each ins i u ion. Fo example, he Con e ence o Rec o s o Spanish Uni e si ies
(CRUE) aces he challenge o aising awa eness among i s s uden s [27].
The 2030 Agenda impac s uni e si ies because i ep esen s: (a) An in e nal ans o ma ion ha
leads o e hinking ‘wha ’, ‘how’, and ‘wha o ’ he uni e si ies each; (b) an ex e nal ans o ma ion
due o he eposi ioning o uni e si ies wi hin socie y; and (c) uni e si y con ex s ha a icula e he
pa icipan s’ needs and gene a e inclusi e alliances [28–30].
1.2.3. The KPSS o Sus ainable De elopmen Among Uni e si y S uden s
Al hough in e na ional ins i u ions, such as he Uni ed Na ions in 2007, ha e p omo ed he
implemen a ion o he p inciples o Responsible Managemen Educa ion (PRME) as a pla o m o
aise he p o ile o sus ainabili y in schools a ound he wo ld, and o equip oday
'
s business s uden s
wi h he abili y o deli e change omo ow, ecen s udies p omo ed by UNESCO in 2017 in oduced
challenges wi h g ea e deg ees o complexi y and unce ain y han hose p esen ed in he pas . Fo
his eason, we ha e o conside he KPSS p omo ed by UNESCO.
As we ha e commen ed, i is essen ial o in oduce en i onmen al and social pe spec i es in
he cu icula o u u e g adua es—no only o ien ed owa ds p o essional de elopmen bu also o
pe sonal li e. This p ocess is known as ‘sus ainable cu iculum’ [
31
] and is an e olu ion o he concep
o ‘cu icula en i onmen alisa ion’ [
32
], wi h he aim o add essing sus ainable aspec s as well as
en i onmen al concep s, unlike he p e ious concep .
New gene a ions ace g ea e indi idualiza ion, social di e si y, deg ada ion, and social and
en i onmen al ulne abili y, among o he ac o s. Facing hese issues equi es c ea i e and au onomous
beha io , in addi ion o ha ing u h ul, clea , and concise in o ma ion on all he a iables ha can
a ec he esolu ion o he p oblems and challenges ha may a ise.
The e o e, uni e si y s uden s should ha e he necessa y skills o collabo a e and pe o m wi h
he goal o ob aining posi i e changes in socie y and he su ounding en i onmen [
25
] (i.e., becoming
uly sus ainable ci izens) [33,34].
The oles o he uni e si y, as a ehicle o sus ainable de elopmen among s uden s, socie y,
and o he en i ies a e undamen al [
35
]. Educa ing ia sus ainabili y in he cu icula o uni e si y
s uden s implies de eloping a se ies o KPSS. The implemen a ion and achie emen o hese skills will
allow s uden s o ace he u u e challenges ha he cu en globalized labo ma ke , wi h exponen ial
echnological g ow h, will demand.
Thus, he adop ion o hese compe ences will be c ucial i s uden s a e o be in ol ed esponsibly
and cons uc i ely in he u u e o a sus ainable economic, social, poli ical, and en i onmen al
en i onmen [3,24,36–39] (Figu e 2).
These KPSS desc ibe he speci ic a ibu es ha s uden s need o ac ion and au onomy in di e en
si ua ions and complex con ex s, including no only mo i a ional bu also cogni i e, a ec i e, and
oli ional elemen s [
10
]. KPSS should be unde s ood as compe encies ha do no eplace o he
compe encies [
4
], such as he compe encies o eamwo k, e ec i e communica ion, and da a analysis,
among o he s [
40
,
41
]. Howe e , s uden s should unde s and hem and acqui e a wide scope o
knowledge [5]. In addi ion, o suppo he achie emen o SDG a ge s, KPSS a o achie emen in a
mo e e ec i e manne when a ious skills a e in e linked [42].
The essen ial KPSS a e hose acqui ed h ough ac ion, suppo ed by he concep s o expe ience
and e lec ion—KPSS a e no augh bu de eloped h oughou s udy [
5
,
25
]. These skills, p oposed by
UNESCO [25], ha e been de ined as c ucial o he p og ess o sus ainabili y [3,24,43]
Sus ainabili y 2020,12, 1014 6 o 18
Sus ainabili y 2020, 1, x FOR PEER REVIEW 6 o 20
Sus ainabili y 2020, 1, x; doi: FOR PEER REVIEW www.mdpi.com/jou nal/sus ainabili y
Figu e 2. Key P o essional Skills o Sus ainable De elopmen . Sou ce: adap ed om [25].
These KPSS desc ibe he speci ic a ibu es ha s uden s need o ac ion and au onomy in
di e en si ua ions and complex con ex s, including no only mo i a ional bu also cogni i e,
a ec i e, and oli ional elemen s [10]. KPSS should be unde s ood as compe encies ha do no
eplace o he compe encies [4], such as he compe encies o eamwo k, e ec i e communica ion, and
da a analysis, among o he s [40,41]. Howe e , s uden s should unde s and hem and acqui e a wide
scope o knowledge [5]. In addi ion, o suppo he achie emen o SDG a ge s, KPSS a o
achie emen in a mo e e ec i e manne when a ious skills a e in e linked [42].
The essen ial KPSS a e hose acqui ed h ough ac ion, suppo ed by he concep s o expe ience
and e lec ion—KPSS a e no augh bu de eloped h oughou s udy [5,25]. These skills, p oposed
by UNESCO [46], ha e been de ined as c ucial o he p og ess o sus ainabili y [3,24,43]
1.2.4. The De elopmen o ESD h ough he Se ious Game Known as “The Island”
The use o ICTs o p omo e ac i e lea ning p ocesses in highe educa ion ep esen s an
imp o emen in he educa ion p ocess ha allows eache s o p omo e new skills among s uden s
[44]. In he case o ESD, using SG as an e-lea ning ool can help implemen he KPSS men ioned abo e
in a mo e posi i e way [45–47].
‘The Island’ is he name o a se ious game, in which s uden s, in a gi en ime–space domain,
mus make economic, social, and en i onmen al decisions ha allow hem o e ec i ely and
e icien ly go e n a de ined e i o y. In his way, while always keeping in mind he op imal
Figu e 2. Key P o essional Skills o Sus ainable De elopmen . Sou ce: adap ed om [25].
1.2.4. The De elopmen o ESD h ough he Se ious Game Known as “The Island”
The use o ICTs o p omo e ac i e lea ning p ocesses in highe educa ion ep esen s an imp o emen
in he educa ion p ocess ha allows eache s o p omo e new skills among s uden s [
44
]. In he case o
ESD, using SG as an e-lea ning ool can help implemen he KPSS men ioned abo e in a mo e posi i e
way [45–47].
‘The Island’ is he name o a se ious game, in which s uden s, in a gi en ime–space domain,
mus make economic, social, and en i onmen al decisions ha allow hem o e ec i ely and e icien ly
go e n a de ined e i o y. In his way, while always keeping in mind he op imal achie emen o he
mos possible SDGs, he s uden s should collec i ely decide wha ac ions should be aken and how
and when hey will be implemen ed in The Island o sa is y he ci izens and a oid nega i e ecological
impac s wi hin he a ailable budge .
The playe s a e he mayo s o he island, and hei aim is o maximize he wel a e o he inhabi an s
( he bes use o na u al esou ces, R&D, and in as uc u es). The s uden s mus manage he economy
o he island o achie e he mos sus ainable balance. On his island, use s ha e access o di e en
sou ces o non- enewable ene gy, such as oil, na u al gas, and u anium. They also ha e enewable
ene gy sou ces, including wa e , he sun, and he wind. Mo eo e , since hey li e on an island, hey
mus p ope ly manage he a ailable space.
Sus ainabili y 2020,12, 1014 7 o 18
The aim o he s uden s is o maximize he use o he esou ces a ailable. The s a egies
implemen ed mus conside he ele an amewo k o limi a ions, like in he eal public managemen
o esou ces (i.e., a budge comp ising income and expendi u es and possible new p oblems caused by
he decisions made and he space in ol ed).
This se ious game helps s uden s de elop KPSS. Th ough he simula o , he s uden s obse e and
alue he a ious u u e scena ios ha a ise in he game. In addi ion, he s uden s mus de e mine
and pe cei e he ela ionships be ween he decisions o be aken and he ci izens, using di e en
p oblem-sol ing amewo ks in he ace o he di e en si ua ions ou lined by he se ious game.
Likewise, s uden s a e o e ed he possibili y o ques ion hei own p ac ices and opinions o hose o
o he s, eaching conscious decisions and ac ing esponsibly om economic, social, and en i onmen al
pe spec i es (T iple Bo om Linen).
2. Ma e ials and Me hods
2.1. Desc ip i e Da a
In ou eage ness o de elop as key agen s in he sus ainable de elopmen ans o ma ion p ocesses,
we a e commi ed o p omo ing hese KPSS among s uden s. T aining u u e g adua es in KPSS
ha allow hem o achie e SDGs and de elop he heo e ical and p ac ical knowledge necessa y o
hei u u e wo k and pe sonal li es is a op p io i y o bo h ins i u ions. The e o e, using business
simula o s o SG h ough ac i e me hodologies in he class oom will help s uden s include KPSS ha
can be use ul in he labo ma ke and in hei pe sonal li es.
Howe e , implemen ing new educa ion sys ems does no mean ha s uden s will acqui e e e y
skill demanded in he 2030 Agenda. The p esen wo k uses he me hodological and quan i a i e ool
o a ques ionnai e, which allows a social phenomenon o be s udied as a dynamic p ocess wi hin
i s eal con ex . Fo he elabo a ion o he ques ionnai e, di e en s udies ela ed o he analysis o
compe encies among s uden s o educa ion we e aken in o accoun [24,48,49].
A ques ionnai e composed o dicho omous ques ions and a Like scale om 1 o 5 was gi en o
s uden s en olled du ing he 2017/2018 academic yea in he las yea o hei deg ee a he Uni e si y
Business School (UBS), in he Mas e
'
s Deg ee in Accoun Audi ing and Highe Accoun ing (MACS)
p og am, o in he Mas e
'
s Deg ee in Ac ua ial Sciences and Finance (MCAF) p og am a he Facul y o
Economics and Business (FEE). (see Appendices Aand Bin Appendix A) The da a we e aken du ing
he las qua e o 2017 and he i s qua e o 2018 om he s uden s a he educa ional cen e s whe e
he su ey was ca ied ou . The selec ion o his sample is jus i ied due o he p oximi y o he s uden s
o he labo o ce. On he one hand, s uden s in he only wo p o essional mas e s p og ams wi h
ac i i y ese es in he acul y o economics and business we e chosen. On he o he hand, s uden s
wi h a business managemen deg ee we e selec ed because in he nea u u e hey will ha e o make
decisions om he pe spec i e o he iple bo om line.
The sample size was de e mined o achie e a maximum ma gin o e o less han 0.05 poin s, in
his case
±
5% wi h a 95% con idence le el (z =1.96, o e =0.05) o 456 s uden s in he MCAF and
MACS p og ams o ou h g ade s uden s in he USB (de ined as ini e).
n=N
1+e2(N−1)
z2pq
. (1)
Thus, he sample amoun s o 208 s uden s. Based on he answe s conside ed o be alid, he inal
numbe o su eys was 88. This igu e is conside ed ep esen a i e, since he s uden s p o ided a
42.30% co ec esponse a e ela i e o he sample size.
The ques ionnai e was aken by 88 s uden s (50 women and 38 men) in he hi d yea o hei
Deg ee in Business Ma ke ing Managemen a he UBS (69 s uden s), in he MACS (12 s uden s), and
in he MCAF (se en s uden s), all om he FEE.
Sus ainabili y 2020,12, 1014 8 o 18
The da a we e collec ed based on he cou ses ela ed o he Accoun ing and Financial In o ma ion
managemen special y, as well as hose ela ed o KPSS and Co po a e Social Responsibili y. Gi en
ha he p esen s udy was ocused on sus ainable de elopmen , he esponden s we e asked o no e
he numbe o cou ses in which hey had wo ked wi h SG (N_COUR_SG) and he numbe o cou ses
in which hey had deal wi h issues ela ed o sus ainable de elopmen (N_COUR_SUST) (Tables 1
and 2).
Table 1. Desc ip i e s a is ics: Sample equencies.
F equency Pe cen age Valid
Pe cen age
Cumula i e
Pe cen age
SEX
MAN 38 43.2 43.2 43.2
WOMAN
50 56.8 56.8 100
To al 88 100 100
UNDERGRADUATE/MASTER’S
DEGREE
CUBS 69 78.4 78.4 78.4
MAAHA
12 13.5 13.5 91.9
MAFS 7 8.1 8.1 100
To al 88 100 100
N_COUR_SG
0 24 27.3 27.3 27.3
1 52 59.1 59.1 86.4
2 8 9.1 9.1 95.5
2 4 4.5 4.5 100
To al 88 100 100
N_COUR_SUST
0 2 2.3 2.3 2.3
1 38 43.2 43.2 45.5
2 32 36.4 36.4 81.8
3 12 13.6 13.6 95.5
>3 4 4.5 4.5 100
To al 88 100 100
No e. N_COUR_SG =numbe o cou ses using Se ious Games; N_COUR_SUST =numbe o cou ses add essing
sus ainable de elopmen . Sou ce: p epa ed by he au ho s.
Table 2. Desc ip i e s a is ics: sample s a is ics.
SEX WORK VOLUNTEERING N_COUR_SG N_COUR_SUST
NValid 88 88 88 88 88
Los 0 0 0 0 0
Mean 1.57 1.80 1.84 0.91 1.75
Median 2.00 2.00 2,00 1.00 2.00
Mode 2 2 2 1 1
S anda d de ia ion 0.498 0.406 0.368 0.737 0.887
Va iance 0.248 0.165 0.135 0.543 0.787
Sou ce: p epa ed by he au ho s.
Speci ically, we assessed he ela ionship and he deg ee o associa ion be ween he o e all
sa is ac ion wi h he use o he se ious game known as “The Island” «Ch» o a o he de elopmen o
sus ainable cu iculum «SAT_GEN», based on hei deg ee o pe cep ion abou he imp o emen o
each KPSS h ough he applica ion o The Island.
To assess all explana o y o dependen a iables, we used a 5-poin Like scale (1 = e y low;
2=low; 3 =medium; 4 =high; and 5 = e y high). These a iables we e:
STS =Sys emic hinking skill.
AS =An icipa ion skill.
NS =No ma i e skill.
SS =S a egic skill.
CS =Collabo a i e skill.
CTS =C i ical hinking skill.
SAS =Sel -awa eness skill.
Sus ainabili y 2020,12, 1014 9 o 18
PSS =In eg a ed p oblem-sol ing skill.
The mul iple linea eg ession model esul ed in:
SAT_GEN =α+
8
X
h=1
βh·Ch(2)
whe e:
α: A cons an .
βh: The pa ial ela ionship be ween each h h explana o y a iable and he explained a iable.
Ch: The h h explana o y a iable.
2.2. Da a Analysis
We used he SPSS S a is ics 24 so wa e o pe o m a s epwise selec ion o he a iables in
o de o ca y ou a mul iple linea eg ession analysis. The pu pose o his analysis was o ind,
among all he possible explana o y a iables «Ch», hose ha bes explained he deg ee o sa is ac ion
o he independen a iable «SAT_GEN», wi hou any o hem being a linea combina ion o he
emaining a iables.
This way, we de e mined he KPSS ha in luenced he deg ee o «SAT_GEN», based on hei
de elopmen h ough he applica ion o The Island:
H0: The KPSS «Ch» does no a ec he deg ee o «SAT_GEN».
Tha is, H0 =ßX =0
3. Resul s. A P edic i e Model o Sa is ac ion Deg ee Based on he KPSS
Based on he s epwise eg ession p ocedu e and he goodness o i o he da a o he mul iple
linea eg ession model, we obse ed ha he las p oposed model (model 5) ob ained he highes
mul iple co ela ion coe icien (R) (Table 3).
Table 3. Model Summa y.
Model RR-Squa e R-Squa e
Adjus ed
S anda d E o
Es ima ion
Change S a is ics
Change in
R-Squa e
Change
in Fgl1 gl2 Sig. Change in
F
1 0.956 a0.913 0.912 0.150 0.913 906.774 1 86 0.000
20.966 b0.932 0.931 0.133 0.019 23.910 1 85 0.000
3 0.968 c0.938 0.936 0.128 0.006 7.463 1 84 0.008
40.970 d0.941 0.939 0.126 0.003 4.900 1 83 0.030
5 0.974 e0.948 0.945 0.119 0.007 10.589 1 82 0.002
No e. Sig. =signi icance
a. P edic o s: (Cons an ), AS
b. P edic o s: (Cons an ), AS, STS
c. P edic o s: (Cons an ), AS, STS, PSS
d. P edic o s: (Cons an ), AS, STS, PSS, NS
e. P edic o s: (Cons an ), AS, STS, PSS, NS, CTS
Sou ce: p epa ed by he au ho s.
This way, on he one hand, i was con i med ha «AS» ( =13.348; p<0.05), «STS» ( =
−
5.198;
p<0.05)
, «PSS» ( =2.449; p<0.05), and «CTS» ( =0.229; p<0.05) explained he independen a iable
«SAT_GEN» mo e in ensely by means o a posi i e linea associa ion. On he o he hand, we obse ed
ha «NS» ( =
−
0.190; p<0.05) explained he independen a iable «SAT_GEN» mo e in ensely by
means o a nega i e linea associa ion. Also, he coe icien o de e mina ion (R
2
) indica ed ha
he a iabili y explained by he model was 94.8%, which is e y close o he adjus ed coe icien
o de e mina ion.
Based on he analysis o a iance, we pe o med an ANOVA es (Table 4) and obse ed ha , in
model 5 ( he one ha in eg a ed hese i e KPSS), he p- alue associa ed wi h he F-s a is ic was lowe
Sus ainabili y 2020,12, 1014 16 o 18
Wha is you gene al le el o sa is ac ion wi h he use o he SG: The Island as a ool o assis in he
de elopmen o i s sus ainable cu iculum h oughou you uni e si y ca ee ? Answe by assuming
ha 1 is "none" and 5 " e y much".
#1. None
#2. Li le
#2. Medium
#4. Enough
#5. Ve y Much
Re e ences
1. Sus ainabili y, Global. Global sus ainabili y: he his o y/ ime line o an idea. RMIT, Melbou ne 2001,4.
2.
Gla ic, P.; Lukman, R. Re iew o sus ainabili y e ms and hei de ini ions. J. Clean. P od.
2007
,15, 1875–1885.
[C ossRe ]
3.
De Haan, G. The de elopmen o ESD- ela ed compe encies in suppo i e ins i u ional amewo ks.
In . Re . Educ. 2010,56, 315–328. [C ossRe ]
4.
Rychen, D.S. Compe encias Cla e: Abo da Desa
í
os Impo an es En Vida, 1s ed.; Hog e e y Hube : Camb idge,
UK, 2003; pp. 63–107.
5.
Weine , F.E. Concep o compe ence: A concep ual cla i ica ion. In De ining and Selec ing Key Compe encies,
2nd ed.; Rychen, D.S., Salganik, L.H., Eds.; Hog e e & Hube Publishe s: Gö ingen, Ge many, 2001; pp. 45–65.
6.
Ka saliaki, K.; Mus a ee, N. Edu ainmen o sus ainable de elopmen : A su ey o games in he ield.
Simul. Gaming 2015,46, 647–672. [C ossRe ]
7.
Maca
ó
n, L.S. La educaci
ó
n ambien al o la educaci
ó
n pa a el desa ollo sos enible: su in e p e aci
ó
n desde
la isi
ó
n sis
é
mica y hol
í
s ica del concep o de medio ambien e. Educ. Y Fu u o: Re . De In es ig. Apl. Y
Exp. Educ. 2012,26, 17–42.
8.
Rond
ó
n, M.R. La Educaci
ó
n ambien al en pue o ico: P opues a pa a un modelo in e disciplina io de
educación o mal. Run. Re . Cien í ica De In es ig. Educ. 2018,1, 167–184.
9. Edwa ds, J.; Fogelman, K. De eloping ci izenship in he cu iculu, 1s ed.; Rou ledge: London, UK, 2018.
10.
UNESCO. Educa ion o Sus ainable De elopmen s Goals–Lea ning Obje i es, 1s ed.; O ganizaci
ó
n De Las
Naciones Unidas Pa a La Educación y La Cul u a: Pa ís, F ancia, 2017.
11.
Gu i
é
ez, J.; Benayas, J.; Cal o, S. Educaci
ó
n pa a el desa ollo sos enible: e aluaci
ó
n de e os y opo unidades
del decenio 2005–2014. Re . Ibe oam. De Educ. 2006,40, 25–60.
12.
Weiss, E.B. Uni ed Na ions con e ence on en i onmen and de elopmen . In . Leg. Ma e .
1992
,31, 814–817.
[C ossRe ]
13.
Bun ing, C.; Hun , J.; Walke , L.; de Roode, J. Wo ld summi on sus ainable de elopmen . Times High.
Educ. Suppl. 2002,1552, 16–19.
14. Naab, D. Uni ed Na ions Con e ence on Sus ainable De elopmen , 1s ed.; G in Ve lag: Be lin, Ge many, 2012.
15.
McKeown, R.; Hopkins, C.A.; Rizi, R.; Ch ys alb idge, M. Educa ion o Sus ainable De elopmen Toolki , 2nd ed.;
Ene gy, En i onmen and Resou ces Cen e , Uni e si y o Tennessee: Knox ille, TN, USA, 2002.
16.
Ma
í
nez, P. La con ibuci
ó
n de las uni e sidades al log o de las ODS. In P oceedings o he Cong eso de la
con e encia ibe oame icana sob e obje i os de desa ollo sos enible, Salamanca, Spain, 27–29 June 2018.
17.
Ceb i
á
n, G.; Junyen , M. Compe encies in educa ion o sus ainable de elopmen : Explo ing he s uden
eache s’ iews. Sus ainabili y 2015,7, 2768–2786.
18.
Kagawa, F. Dissonance in s uden s’ pe cep ions o sus ainable de elopmen and sus ainabili y: Implica ions
o cu iculum change. In . J. Sus ain. High. Educ. 2007,8, 317–338. [C ossRe ]
19.
Py ini, N.; Va onis, O.J.; Va onis, E.M. The open wings p ojec : T ans o ming s uden s’ pe cep ions o sel
and socie y h ough he de elopmen o he homonomous sel . In . J. In . Lea n. Technol.
2017
,34, 83–101.
[C ossRe ]
20. UNESCO. Re hinking Educa ion: Towa ds a Global Common Good? UNESCO: Pa is, F ance, 2015.
21.
P ado, A.M.; A ce, R.; Lopez, L.E.; Ga c
í
a, J. Simula ions e sus case s udies: e ec i ely eaching he p emises
o sus ainable de elopmen in he class oom. J. Bus. E hics 2020,161, 303–327. [C ossRe ]
Sus ainabili y 2020,12, 1014 17 o 18
22.
Ba es, I.Y.; A kins, D. Managemen o Insu ance Ope a ions, 1s ed.; Ins i u e o Financial Se ices: London,
UK, 2003.
23.
Rajan, A.; Van Eupen, P.; Chapple, K. Skills in Financial Se ices. Insu ance, Banking & Building Socie ies; Cen e
Fo Resea ch In Employmen & Technology: Ken , UK, 1999.
24.
Sca one, G.; F on i de Ga c
í
a, L.; Fe n
á
ndez Cues a, C. Los desa
í
os de la con abilidad de sus en abilidad.
Re is a AECA 2019,125, 7–10.
25.
UNESCO. Indicado es Tem
á
icos Pa a Moni o ea La Agenda De Educaci
ó
n 2030, 1s ed.; Ins i u o Es ad
í
s ico de
la UNESCO: Mad id, Spain, 2015.
26.
Aldeanue a, C.M.; Rojo, A.; Pas o , M.; Gu mu, D.; S o , L.; Mazo a, J. Alianzas mul iac o pa a la
inno aci
ó
n social en la consecuci
ó
n de los ODS: la uni e sidad y su g an po encial como acili ado y
p omo o . Re . Española De Desa o. Y Coop. 2017,41, 27–38.
27.
Ruiz, M.J.B.C.; Gonz
á
lez, M.J.D. La sos enibilidad en los g ados uni e si a ios: p esencia y cohe encia. eo
í
a
de la educación. Re . In e uni . 2017,29, 161–187.
28. McMillan, J. Uni e si y Communi y Engagemen and Li elong Lea ning: he Po ous Uni e si y, 1s ed.; Palg a e
MacMillan: Dou ban, Sou h A ica, 2018.
29.
P eece, J. Implica ions o he Po ous Uni e si y o Policy and P ac ice in Uni e si y Communi y Engagemen and
Li elong Lea ning, 1s ed.; Palg a e Macmillan: London, UK, 2017.
30.
S ewa , M. The Po ous Uni e si y: Impac is no some added ex a o academic li e, bu lies a he co e o
wha we do. Impac o Social Sciences Blog. A ailable online: h p://ep in s.lse.ac.uk/70693/1/blogs.lse.ac.uk-
The%20Po ous%20Uni e si y%20Impac %20is%20no %20some%20added%20ex a%20o %20academic%
20li e%20bu %20lies%20a %20 he%20co e%20o %20wha %20we.pd (accessed on 5 Decembe 2015).
31. G anados, J.; Junyen , M. Re os y opo unidades en la ambien alización cu icula . Cuad. De Pedagog. 2015,
460, 48–52.
32.
Pujol, R.M.; Villanue a, M. Un p oces me odologic pe l
'
ambien aci
ó
cu icula . P oceedings o semina is
d'ambien ali zaciócu icula , Ba celona, España; 1998; pp. 31–43.
33.
Wals, A.E. Beyond Un easonable Doub . Educa ion and Lea ning o Socio-Ecological Sus ainabili y in he
An h opocene, 1s ed.; Wageningen Uni e si y: Wageningen, The Ne he lands, 2015.
34.
Wals, A.E.; Lengle , F. Sus ainabili y ci izens: collabo a i e and dis up i e social lea ning. In Sus ainabili y
Ci izenship in Ci ies, 1s ed.; Rou ledge: UK, London, 2016; pp. 72–86.
35.
La
á
n, M.; And ades, J.; He e a, J. An examina ion o a i udes and pe cep ions o Spanish business and
accoun ing s uden s owa d co po a e social esponsibili y and sus ainabili y hemes. Re . De Con ab.
2018
,
21, 196–205. [C ossRe ]
36. Ba , S. En i onmen and socie y: Sus ainabili y, policy and he ci izen, 1s ed.; Rou ledge: London, UK, 2016.
37.
Ca e , N. The Poli ics o he En i onmen : Ideas, Ac i ism, Policy, 1s ed.; Uni e si y P ess: Camb idge, UK,
2018.
38. Knox, P.L.; Ma s on, S.A.; Imo , M. Human Geog aphy: Places and Regions in Global Con ex , 1s ed.; Pea son:
London, UK, 2016.
39.
Wiek, A.; Wi hycombe, L.; Redman, C.L. Key compe encies in sus ainabili y: a e e ence amewo k o
academic p og am de elopmen . Sus ain. Sci. 2011,6, 203–218. [C ossRe ]
40.
Mac
í
as, A.C.; Cañedo, T.J.; Euda e, D.; P
á
ez, D.A.; Ca ajal, M. A gumen aci
ó
n del u o de educaci
ó
n
supe io sob e su p
á
c ica y expe iencia en el con ex o del abajo colabo a i o. In es ig. Cual. En Educ.
2017
,
1, 791–799.
41.
Ma
í
n-Ga c
í
a, J.A.; Maheu , J.; Ga c
í
a-Saba e , J.J. Analisis del g ado de consis encia en e di e en es modos de
e alua las compe encias ans e sales de c ea i idad, pensamien o c
í
ico, lide azgo y abajo en equipo/ ed.
P oceedings o IN-RED 2017: III Cong eso nacional de inno aci
ó
n educa i a y docencia en ed, Valencia,
Spain, 13–14 July 2017.
42.
Alles, M. Elija Al Mejo : La En e is a En Selecci
ó
n De Pe sonal. La En e is a Po Compe encias, 3 d ed.; Ediciones
G anica: Mad id, España, 2019.
43.
Rieckmann, M. Fu u e-o ien ed highe educa ion: Which key compe encies should be os e ed h ough
uni e si y eaching and lea ning? Fu u es 2012,44, 127–135. [C ossRe ]
44.
Goldin, C.; Ka z, L.F. The Race be ween Educa ion and Technology. In Inequali y in he 21s Cen u y, 1s ed.;
Rou ledge: London, UK, 2018; pp. 49–54.
Sus ainabili y 2020,12, 1014 18 o 18
45.
B eue , J.; Ben e, G. Why so se ious? On he ela ion o se ious games and lea ning. J. Compu . Game Cul .
2010,4, 7–24.
46.
Co igan, S.; Zon, G.D.R.; Maij, A.; McDonald, N.; Må ensson, L. An app oach o collabo a i e lea ning and
he se ious game de elopmen . Cogn. Technol. Wo k 2015,17, 269–278. [C ossRe ]
47. Ka saliaki, K. Se ious games o sus ainable de elopmen . J. Manag. Educ. 2013,37, 889–894. [C ossRe ]
48.
Adomssen , M.; Godemann, J.; Michelsen, G.; Ba h, M.; Rieckmann, M.; S ol enbe g, U. De eloping key
compe encies o sus ainable de elopmen in highe educa ion. In . J. Sus ain. High. Educ.
2007
,8, 416–430.
49.
Mu ga-Menoyo, M.
Á
. Compe encias pa a el desa ollo sos enible: las capacidades, ac i udes y alo es me a
de la educación en el ma co de la Agenda global pos -2015. De Educ. 2015,13, 55–83.
50.
Calabo , M.S.; Mo a, A.; Moya, S. Adquisici
ó
n de compe encias a a
é
s de juegos se ios en el
á
ea con able:
un análisis empí ico. Span. Accoun . Re . 2018,21, 38–47. [C ossRe ]
51.
Lia akou, G.; Sakka, E.; Ga ilakis, C.; Tsolakidis, C. E alua ion o se ious games, as a ool o educa ion o
sus ainable de elopmen . Eu . J. Opendis ance E-Lea n. 2012,15, 96–110.
52.
Thi oua d, M.; Be nae , O.; Dho ne, L.; Bianchi, S.; Pidol, L.; Pe i , Y. Lea ning by doing: in eg a ing a
se ious game in a MOOC o p omo e new skills. In P oceedings o he Eu opean MOOC s akeholde summi
2015, G az, Aus ia, 18–20 May 2015; pp. 92–96.
53.
Willemse, T.M.; Ten Dam, G.; Geijsel, F.; Van Wessum, L.; Volman, M. Fos e ing eache s’ p o essional
de elopmen o ci izenship educa ion. Teach. Teach. Educ. 2015,49, 118–127. [C ossRe ]
©
2020 by he au ho s. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Swi ze land. This a icle is an open access
a icle dis ibu ed unde he e ms and condi ions o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion
(CC BY) license (h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/).
