Learning vermicomposting: the use of digital games in child education

Abstract: TThe objective is to present a digital educational game aimed at Early Childhood Education based on vermicomposting and discuss the limits and possibilities of its use to promote Environmental Education. The material is the product of a professional master's thesis in Environmental Science Teaching produced during the years 2020/2021. For the sake of accuracy in relation to its potential, the game was tested by professionals in a municipal school in the city of São Carlos-SP who work in Early Childhood Education. As affordances of the material, the participants pointed out the educational and playful characteristics to be explored with young children. The perceived limitations relate to the configuration of the game as an evaluative instrument; some teachers were uncomfortable evaluating the children's learning. The material produced in this study can foster discussions on formative assessment in Early Childhood Education and point at ways to carry out a diagnosis of learning without this mischaracterizing the objectives at this stage of schooling.摘要：本研究旨在提出一款基于蚯蚓堆肥（vermicomposting）的幼儿教育（Early Childhood Education）数字教育游戏，并探讨其在推进环境教育（Environmental Education）过程中的应用局限与潜在可能。本研究成果为2020至2021年间完成的环境科学教学专业硕士学位论文产物。为精准评估该游戏的应用潜力，研究团队邀请巴西圣保罗州圣卡洛斯市一所市立学校的幼儿教育从业者对其开展测试。针对该游戏的可供性（affordances），参与测试的教师指出，其具备可供低龄儿童挖掘探索的教育性与游戏性特征。本次研究识别出的局限性集中体现为该游戏作为评价工具的适配问题：部分教师对开展幼儿学习评价存在抵触情绪。本研究产出的教学材料可推动幼儿教育领域关于形成性评价（formative assessment）的讨论，并为在不偏离该阶段教育目标的前提下实施学习诊断指明可行方向。