Integrating Analog Games and Minecraft for Urban Greening Education: A Serious Game Approach for Elementary Students

Ryohei Egusa, Yuuri Kimura, Hiroko Tsuji

2025

Abstract

This study presents the development of a serious game that integrates an analog board game with Minecraft to enhance urban greening education for elementary school students. Urban greening plays a crucial role in sustainable urban development by contributing to environmental regulation, public well-being, and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, environmental education in Japanese elementary schools remains limited due to the complexity of the topic and curriculum constraints. The proposed game features intuitive controls and real-time simulation, allowing students to learn about urban greening through interactive city-building activities. The game system uses a web camera to capture the placement of physical game pieces on a board, with TensorFlow processing the image to identify piece types and positions. This data is converted into NumPy array, corresponding to Minecraft’s world coordinates, and the city is constructed using predefined building information. A scoring system evaluates development levels and air pollution based on the types, quantities, and configurations of buildings. The game promotes collaborative problem-solving and active discussion among players, enhancing engagement with urban greening concepts. Future work involves refining the missions, scoring mechanisms, and conducting practical tests to evaluate the game’s educational effectiveness in fostering sustainable urban learning.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Egusa R., Kimura Y. and Tsuji H. (2025). Integrating Analog Games and Minecraft for Urban Greening Education: A Serious Game Approach for Elementary Students. In Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 1: CSEDU; ISBN 978-989-758-746-7, SciTePress, pages 598-603. DOI: 10.5220/0013441400003932

in Bibtex Style

@conference{csedu25,
author={Ryohei Egusa and Yuuri Kimura and Hiroko Tsuji},
title={Integrating Analog Games and Minecraft for Urban Greening Education: A Serious Game Approach for Elementary Students},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 1: CSEDU},
year={2025},
pages={598-603},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0013441400003932},
isbn={978-989-758-746-7},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 1: CSEDU
TI - Integrating Analog Games and Minecraft for Urban Greening Education: A Serious Game Approach for Elementary Students
SN - 978-989-758-746-7
AU - Egusa R.
AU - Kimura Y.
AU - Tsuji H.
PY - 2025
SP - 598
EP - 603
DO - 10.5220/0013441400003932
PB - SciTePress