Abstract:

This paper explores a dynamic, phased pedagogy that leverages film, teamwork, and game-based learning to enhance students' engagement and innovation in eco-design. Focusing on the widespread water bottle as a design challenge, we guide students through a structured process:
- Challenge Introduction: Students are presented with the environmental impact of water bottles and tasked with developing eco-conscious design solutions. This phase sparks interest and establishes the relevance of the project.
- Collaborative Ideation: Teams brainstorm and refine their design approaches, fostering creativity and critical thinking. This phase emphasizes the importance of collaboration and diverse perspectives in problem-solving.
- Information Enrichment: We provide supplementary information on sustainable materials, manufacturing processes, and life-cycle analysis, encouraging students to adjust their solutions accordingly. This phase deepens students' understanding of eco-design principles and their real-world applications.
- Filmed Documentation: The design process of each team is filmed, capturing the evolution of their ideas and problem-solving strategies. This phase serves as a reflective tool for students and provides rich data for pedagogical analysis.
- Classroom Reflection: Teams analyze their filmed design journeys, reflecting on their successes, challenges, and learnings at each phase. This metacognitive process reinforces knowledge and promotes self-regulation.
- Gamified Assessment: We employ Kahoot!, a game-based learning platform, to assess students' understanding of eco-design principles and evaluate their final solutions. This phase adds an element of fun and competition, further motivating students and consolidating their learning.

By integrating film, collaboration, and gamification into a phased approach, we aim to cultivate a deeper understanding of eco-design principles, enhance teamwork and communication skills, and inspire creative, sustainable solutions. This paper will showcase student work, analyze the effectiveness of the pedagogy, and discuss implications for engineering education and beyond.

Keywords:

Eco-design, pedagogy, film-based learning, teamwork, game-based learning, creativity, innovation, engineering education.