Course Overview

This course explores the integration of digital storytelling and didactic simulations as innovative pedagogical tools for promoting education for sustainability. This combination of themes aligns with 21st-century educational priorities, which emphasize digital literacy, critical thinking and global awareness. Didactic simulations provide transformative learning experiences and represent a powerful tool to develop students’ critical thinking, empathy and collaborative problem-solving skills.

The course aims to provide participants with both theoretical foundations linked to sustainability and digital literacy as well as practical competencies for engaging in and designing didactic scenarios and digital storytelling projects.

Through interactive seminars and project-based learning, students will analyze how narrative thinking and experiential simulation can foster critical reflection, intercultural understanding, and responsible citizenship.

Students will engage in collaborative activities to develop an educational scenario that merges digital storytelling and simulation and which addresses a sustainability-related theme (e.g., social inclusion, climate resilience, or ethical consumption).

Learning Outcomes

In terms of knowledge and understanding, by the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Explain the pedagogical principles underpinning project-based digital storytelling and didactic simulations in contemporary education.
• Describe the key dimensions of education for sustainable development and their relevance to students belonging to different age groups.
• Analyze didactic scenarios to explore sustainability themes in depth.

In terms of skills, by the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Design digital storytelling resources using some free digital tools (e.g., Canva, StoryMap, Genially, StoryJumper) to explore sustainability challenges.
• Develop a simulation scenario to engage in reflective learning, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrate awareness of intercultural competence when expressing opinions and sharing understanding about sustainability.  

In terms of attitudes and values, by the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate commitment to sustainability through the design of digital storytelling and simulation scenarios.
• Reflect critically on their personal growth in relation to sustainability, global citizenship and digital literacy.

Course Content

The course covers the following topics:

1. The critical role of education in promoting sustainability and responsible environmental behaviour.
2. Sustainability as a lifelong competence.
3. Didactic simulations: structure, pedagogical value and enactment.
4. Digital storytelling: educational value and its role in developing digital literacy and supporting multimodality.
5. Intercultural competence: strategies for communicating effectively across cultures.

Instructional Method

The course combines interactive lectures and workshops using a student-centered learning approach. Workshops on digital storytelling and simulation-based learning will provide a hands-on experience in using digital tools and designing scenarios.

In terms of interaction patterns, we intend to increase student talking time and their participation by engaging them in groupwork projects and pair work activities. Constructive feedback will be provided by both instructors and peers to ensure a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Each session will include short brain-break and warm-up activities to maintain students’ engagement.

Students are also required to complete a reflective portfolio to document their learning process, as well as the challenges experienced related to sustainability, digital storytelling, and simulations.

Required Course Materials

European Commission (2022), GreenComp The European sustainability competence framework, https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC128040

Participants should become familiarized with digital tools such as Storyjumper, Storymap and Canva.

Assessment

Students will be evaluated as follows:

1. Digital Storytelling Project (60%) – Create an original digital storytelling resource that addresses at least one sustainability theme (individual task)
2. Reflective portfolio (20%) – Complete an individual portfolio demonstrating understanding and reflection through multiple-choice items, open-ended questions, and a reflective journal (individual task, 20 %)
3. Active participation (20%) – Engage actively in discussions, group work and workshop activities.