Abstract:

With the global adoption of thinking-aid applications such as AI-driven chatbots, the ability of critical evaluation and reflection of students is dramatically deteriorating, especially for such complex topics as the rebound effects of sustainable consumption, where environmentally motivated actions may unintentionally lead to negative environmental impact. Specifically, we focus on how modern sustainable platforms such as surplus food applications lead to rebound effects. According to a recent report, the Collegiate Learning Assessment Plus (CLA+) assessment shows that only around 50% of students are proficient in critical thinking, problem-solving, and written communication. In a classroom setting, there are multiple ways to stimulate and develop students’ critical thinking skills. In addition, traditional methods seem to be inefficient, as a study that is focusing on employers found that about 60% of employers believe that critical thinking is extremely important, and only about 40% of graduates have this skill. A prospective solution for this issue could be innovative imagination workshops, structured, facilitated learning interventions in which participants collaboratively construct and analyse speculative future scenarios through guided prompts, role-play, narrative building, or game-based formats. This method aligns closely with Transformative Learning Theory (TLT), which explains how learners question their deeply held assumptions, beliefs, and perspectives to develop more inclusive and holistic ways of understanding. For example, in the context of sustainable consumption and business education, imagination workshops can help students to assess potential rebound effects of green buying from multiple perspectives, evaluate the sustainable and ethical impact of business solutions and utilise future thinking. Current business and management education studies typically develop critical thinking through critical reflection, whereas imagination-workshop formats remain understudied.

This study highlights the transformative role of imagination workshops in higher business education. By adopting Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory as a framework, we propose an imagination workshop design. The imagination workshop is built as an interactive online game that students play in small groups. Participants adopt different roles and engage in future-oriented situations, analysing, developing, and discussing them collaboratively. Through structured prompts and scenario-building tasks, students actively engage in evaluating ethical, sustainability, and platform-related dilemmas from multiple perspectives rather than responding passively to predefined content. The online format further strengthens the pedagogical design. The proposed course design connects theory with practical tasks, helping students improve their critical thinking, decision-making skills, and readiness for working life.

Additionally, the proposed design integrates teaching and research by utilising classroom-based learning activities as a structured environment for empirical data collection. Imagination workshops generate rich qualitative and behavioural data through students’ outputs. These materials enable the systematic examination of how students interpret complex socio-economic phenomena such as the rebound effects of sustainable consumption and the impact of technologies.

Keywords:

Game-based Learning, Imagination Workshops, Transformative Learning Theory, Rebound Effects of Sustainable Consumption, Impact of Technologies.