This document describes how the game Sustainaville can be structured as a workshop or integrated into a university course. It involves students making decisions in rounds to improve the sustainability of a virtual community. Students are divided into teams representing different community roles and must work collaboratively to balance budgets, negotiate investments, and see the impact of their choices over multiple rounds. Assessment tools evaluate the learning outcomes and skills developed through playing the game.

1. Sustainaville in Action
This presentation demonstrates how one of pixelfountain’s games-ED
products Sustainaville can be structured as a workshop.
While this presentation concerntrates on a workshop / lesson,
Sustainaville can anchor a module in a university course or be used as a
series of lessons in a college / school.
Sustainaville covers the subject of sustainable development which is
relevant in subject areas and cross curriculum dimensions.

2. Sustainaville in Action
Judging Impact
Prior to the workshop pupils /
students do a piece of work to
generate a base level
understanding in the subject area.
The results can be compared to
post workshop assessment, so
that the learning outcomes can be
evaluated.

3. Sustainaville in Action
Opening Exercise
An opening presentation and exercise is delivered. In a
Sustainaville workshop, the delegates choose one good and one
bad thing about their local area and place it on the local issues
board which uses a venn diagram to show the economic, social
or environmental impact.
Opening exercises and presentation can be delivered as an
initial class in advance of the games based learning class.
Outcomes:
o Understanding of basic concepts / cross curricular dimension
of sustainable development.
o Recognising how this is relevant to the communities where we
live, work and play.
Timeline (this is an example of the % of time required to complete each exercise but this can be extended over multiple classes)
Exercise 1

4. Sustainaville in Action
Main Menu
Shows a virtual community with problems
such as air and water pollution, congestion,
poor housing, unemployment, poor health and
rising waste.
The class is divided into sub-teams: Local
Authority, Education,learning & Skills, Health,
Third Sector, Housing, Utilities, Transport &
Enterprise Partnership. Each sub-team is
presented with a mission outlining their
objectives.
Outcomes:
o Learners get to understand different roles
and the need for sustainable communities.
o Critical thinking around cause & effect.
Round 1
Exercise 2Exercise 1

5. Sustainaville in Action
“An excellent way of
exploring issues particularly the
cross – cutting elements &
how they impact across blocks”
Looking at the issues
Report Screen
Learners are presented with reports to
help them make decisions. See cause and
effect and see the impact their decisions.
They can also see cross linkages with
other sub-teams and understand that they
can achieve more if they work together.
Outcomes:
o They utilise problem solving skills as
they analyse the data & make decisions.
o Working collaboratively.
o Thinking creatively to generate win-
wins.
Round 1
Exercise 1 Exercise 2

6. Sustainaville in Action
Investment
Having looked at their reports and developed
a strategy the sub-teams can invest their
budgets by making purchase decisions.
Can they balance their budget? Negotiate
with other teams and choose win-wins
to create a sustainable community?
Outcomes:
o Learning how to manage a budget.
o Collaborate with other learners through
negotiation, modification and compromise.
o Think critically and make informed
decisions.
Round 1
Exercise 1 Exercise 2

7. Sustainaville in Action
Update Round
After all the budget decisions have been
made, the sub-teams have to present their
decisions to the whole group explaining what
they have bought and why.
The round is updated to the next year and
improvements made to the community are
shown such as: wind turbines, less pollution,
recycling facilities and more housing. The
learners get to see the impact their decisions.
Outcomes:
o Present and argue a case on behalf of
themselves and others .
Round 1 Round 2
Exercise 1 Exercise 2
Round 3

8. Sustainaville in Action
The Score
The score shows how the teams have performed
as a whole group. The facilitator gives feedback
on their performance, and the learners can reflect
on the decisions they have made. Can they be
improved in round 2 and round 3?
Outcomes:
o Use and manage information effectively.
o Reflect on their decisions and monitor progress.
o Understand how community participation
underpins sustainable communities.
o Think creative and critically on a “real world”
scenario. Acting local, yet thinking globally.
Round 1 Round 2 Round 3
Exercise 1 Exercise 2

9. Sustainaville in Action
The End Exercise
End exercises or additional work in the following
classes enable learning to be further developed
and leading to greater outcomes
Outcomes:
Understand the need to be effective
participants and how to make a difference by
taking action and becoming engaged in the
local communities.
Examples:
o Commission pupils to develop a green action
plan for the school.
o Study and debate different viewpoints on the
challenges facing society and the risks
associated with not tackling sustainability.
Round 1 Round 2 Round 3
Exercise 1 Exercise 3Exercise 2

10. Sustainaville in Action
Summative / Formative Assessment
The game generates a report which can be used as a
basis to examine how the class has performed. It can
also provide the base material for the learners to write
a report on their experiences.
Observational criteria are provided alongside a tool to
judge generic skills.
Together these reports and tools can then be used to
inform future learning needs.
Outcomes:
o Students get to make the learning concrete
and transfer the skills learnt into the wider world.
o Teacher can judge and show impact.

11. Sustainaville in Action
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