Ecological Walk: A Proposed Digital Game to Reduce Solid Waste and Safeguard Marine Ecosystems in Brazil

Abstract

The inadequate disposal of Solid Waste (SW) in the oceans is a critical threat to the marine ecosystem due to its biological, economic and social impacts, particularly in the context of Brazil reality. The conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and marine resources is one of the goals proposed in the 2030 Agenda, comprising 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Educational environmental actions are one of the measures for the implementation of SDG 4, target 4.7, which emphasizes that students must acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to promote sustainable development. It is necessary that socio-environmental issues are treated in a transversal way, in order to contribute to the integral education of the citizen. The objective of this chapter is to identify the perception of Brazilian students at a High School Hosting course (HSH), about the damage to the marine environment and the treatment with waste, through the contents presented in the digital game Caminhada Ecológica/Ecological Walk, accessed via mobile device. The game is available on the Play Store platform for the Android system. Using a Google Docs Form, the responses of 47 students were analyzed through 5 objective questions. The Likert Scale 5 points was used, varying the score from Totally Agree to Totally Disagree, and 2 subjective questions. It was found that 95.47% of the participants agreed that the concept worked in the game sensitizes the player about the need and difficulties to keep the beach clean and the importance of the correct disposal of the SW.