Utility Week

38 | AUGUST 2022 | UTILITY WEEK Analysis Using virtual worlds to learn about the real one Digital education fi rm Skewb Climate is working with utilities to get messages about energy and water effi ciency through to the younger generation via bespoke video game Minecraft. A ny type of educational subjects can be created using Minecra , from remak- ing your local city into a sustain- able one to educating children about climate change, energy transition, hydrogen and water e ciency – the possibilities are end- less," Skewb Climate managing director Ruta Blazeviciute tells Utility Week Innovate. A study of 5,000 UK-based 11 to 16-year- olds by the National Literacy Trust (NLT) and the Association of UK Interactive Entertain- ment (UKIE) in 2020 similarly ' agged the ability of video games to push educational, creative and social buttons. For example, more than a third of those quizzed (35%) claimed that gaming made them better readers, while 63% write video game-related content and 76% discuss themes encountered while playing with others. Insights such as these are the build- ing blocks upon which Skewb Climate has loaded Minecra – a sandbox-style video game in which players explore virtually in™ - nite 3D terrain to discover raw materials and create structures – with educational content around climate change and decarbonisation. Thus far, this ranges from ' ying as a water droplet through the water cycle to absorb new behaviours and reduce consumption, to discovering the dangers of carbon monoxide exposure. "There is evidence that clearly demon- strates the delivery of environmental educa- tion to children ™ lters down to adults when they interact with them at home," Blaze- viciute says. "This transfer of knowledge from child to adult has been shown to in' u- ence behaviours positively," Accelerating climate and social action A digital education oœ shoot of water, gas and electricity tech ™ rm Skewb, Skewb Climate is currently in the early stages of collaborating with utility ™ rms to further target schools in hard-to-reach communities and empower young people to combat challenges such as fuel poverty, water e ciency and gas safety via bespoke content. Already working with three major util- ity clients – including A nity Water and Cadent, with whom it has broken down the challenge of reducing carbon monoxide risk in communities into Minecra -shaped blocks – Skewb Climate has thus far gami™ ed education around energy e ciency, water demand management and social awareness. "Our purpose is to accelerate climate and social action through digital education," Blazeviciute says. "We are passionate about the creative process of developing bespoke gaming products, working with utility clients in their focus in being a force for good in the communities in which they operate." Currently in a trial phase, with schools or parents able to book a Minecra module trained teacher via Skewb Climate or a part- nering utility, lessons happen either virtu- ally or via laptops provided by Skewb so that schools that would not otherwise have the equipment to make content accessible can participate. According to Statista, Minecra sold in the region of 200 million copies in the past year and is the most downloaded paid game app on the Google Play store. With months of school summer camps, a community rollout, and formalised education from September in the works, Blazeviciute aims to harness Minecra to reach at least 10% of Skewb Climate's addressable UK market – some 11 million homes – in the next six months. Long-term goals are to engage ™ ve million households by March 2023. Spin-o ' solutions Working with Lithuania-based educational content development Three Cubes, Skewb Climate has produced its own "Minecra world" – shaped by a steering group of children aged between 5 and 15 who have assisted in the design and testing new prod- ucts – where lessons take place. "We have, to date, included nearly 100 children in the span of four months and have been amazed at the quality of enhance- ments and suggestions, so plan on using our "There is evidence that clearly demonstrates the delivery of environmental education to children fi lters down to adults when they interact with them at home," Ruta Blazeviciute, managing director, Skewb Climate "There is evidence that clearly demonstrates the delivery of environmental education to children fi lters down to adults when they interact with them at home," , managing director, Skewb Climate "

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