Co-constructing Alternative Futures
An Investigation of Sustainable Practices at James Cook University and Beyond: Co-constructing Alternative Futures
The project aims to examine and then look beyond the complex and often compromised nature of sustainable practices across three contexts: James Cook University (Townsville, Cairns and Singapore); The Townsville City Council; and local schools in Townsville.
| Duration: | March 2017 to March 2018 |
| Funding: | James Cook University, New Professor Grant |
| Academic Group: | Education |
| Key Words: | Sustainability, Waste, Serious Games, Gamification, Socio-Sustainable and Socio-technical Adjustments |
Project description
This project addresses the long-standing question of why sustainable practices have largely failed to have a consistent impact on the core processes of achieving sustainable societies. The overarching aim of the project is to identify the socio-sustainable and socio-technical adjustments that might be made across 3 sites to facilitate Œbetter¹ sustainable practices. Using an innovative combination of large-scale surveying and critical participatory co-design, the project will:
- Provide insights into why sustainable practices are often not being used to their full potential.
- Actively collaborate in designing, experimenting and constructing alternatives through gamification by answering the question, "How do we design a serious game to deal with waste?".
Project partners
- James Cook University and TropEco
Project team
- Chris Walsh (College of Arts, Society & Education)
- Hilary Whitehouse (College of Arts, Society & Education)
- Helen Boon (College of Arts, Society & Education)
- Tanya Doyle (College of Arts, Society & Education)
- Elaine Sharplin (College of Arts, Society & Education)
- Trina Myers (College of Business, Law and Governance)
- Adam Connell (TropEco)
- David King (College of Science and Engineering)
- Maxine Newlands (College of Arts, Society & Education)
- Aoife McLoughlin (James Cook University Singapore- Psychology)
Key contact: Principal Investigator, Chris Walsh at chris.walsh@jcu.edu.au