Abstract:

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly recognised as an important pathway for addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges through interventions inspired by natural processes and ecosystems. Their application spans a wide range of contexts, including ecosystem restoration, sustainable agriculture and forestry, natural flood management, coastal protection, water purification, and green urban infrastructure. As climate and sustainability challenges intensify, higher education is expected to equip students with knowledge of nature-based solutions principles, as well as the capacity to design, evaluate, and implement integrated solutions in complex real-world contexts.

However, the effective application of NBS requires multidisciplinary competences that are not easily supported through conventional teaching methods. Students need to develop an understanding of ecological principles, systems thinking, design and problem-solving skills, interdisciplinary collaboration, adaptive decision-making, and awareness of the social and economic dimensions of sustainability. This creates a need for innovative pedagogical approaches that can engage learners actively and support applied, design-oriented learning.

This paper presents BuildAsNature, a digital game-based learning intervention designed to support the development of green and multidisciplinary skills related to NBS in higher education. The pedagogical approach is centred on learning through design, experimentation, and resource management. More specifically, the intervention is structured as a digital card game in which students manage resources and combine cards in order to design increasingly advanced nature-based solutions. Cards represent different types of resources, assets, actions, or design components that can be strategically assembled to form higher-level solutions adapted to diverse contexts.

The learning design draws on game-based learning and gamification principles to promote motivation and active engagement. Through scenario-based challenges, students analyse sustainability problems, make design choices, combine resources, and observe the implications of their decisions. The game supports a shift from passive knowledge acquisition to active solution construction. The card-based mechanic is particularly valuable from a pedagogical perspective, as it enables learners to understand complex sustainability interventions as systems composed of interdependent elements, rather than as isolated measures. It also supports incremental learning, strategic thinking, and reflection on trade-offs between environmental, social, and economic priorities.

The paper discusses the conceptual foundation and instructional design of BuildAsNature, highlighting how the proposed approach combines sustainability education, digital innovation, and playful learning to strengthen student engagement and applied competences. It outlines the wider educational framework of the project, including the development of a multidisciplinary skills matrix for NBS, supporting educational scenarios, educator support materials, and training resources for academic staff. It is argued that digital game approaches of this kind can offer a promising model for teaching complex sustainability topics in higher education by making design processes more tangible, interactive, and learner-centred.

Acknowledgement:
Project BuildAsNature is funded by the Erasmus+ program and runs from 2024 to 2026.

Keywords:

Nature-based solutions, digital learning games, digital learning, immersion, sustainability.