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VALUES-BASED DIGITAL GAMES: Designing a digital game platform to foster sustainability in early childhood

Research suggests that many digital games include violence and about half of the violent incidents have negative repercussions such as increased aggression, serious injuries or death in the "real" world (APA, 2015; Children Now, 2015; Gentile 2014). This influential nature (Bogost, 2006) of digital games calls for research on ways in which the digital games can be leveraged instead. This is especially relevant for the early childhood context when players are most malleable (Gentile, 2014; Tootell, Freeman, & Freeman, 2014). Most individuals develop their value systems, habits, and attitudes through play in these early years (Epper, Derryberry, and Jackson 2012). “Play”, in today’s digital age, is facilitated by technology in the form of digital games. This makes digital games a powerful means of fostering values, attitudes, and developing social and emotional learning in children (Hromek and Roffey 2009). Using design science research, this research aims to tap into the power of digital games by creating a platform for designing digital games that foster values, including sustainability principles in early childhood.