LUT Moodle towards sustainable digital education : designing user-centred platforms for environmental awareness and behaviour change

Abstract

Sustainability has become a global priority to ensure a balanced future for humanity and the environment. E-learning platforms can raise awareness and bring meaningful change. This study investigates Moodle's user experience and how sustainability awareness may be incorporated to support sustainable practices and raise environmental awareness. Although Moodle promotes sustainability by lowering travel emissions and dependence on physical resources, it still needs features that actively raise sustainability awareness. This study followed a user-centred design approach to make the platform more engaging and promote sustainability. Data was gathered using qualitative interviews with open-ended questions and quantitative surveys with closed-ended questions. The proposed design elements, such as Doodle of the Day, quizzes, and reward badges, are intended to increase interaction and encourage adopting sustainable habits. Based on the data analysis, personas and journey maps were also made.

The findings show that UCD can make Moodle an effective tool for teaching sustainability. Most students were optimistic about incorporating sustainability content into Moodle, with 85.8% indicating they were more likely to adopt sustainable practices after engaging with interactive materials. However, there are limitations. The study only looked at a narrow group of LUT University users; therefore, its broader relevance must be tested in other universities. The long-term impact on knowledge and motivation for sustainability needs to be explored. So, there are opportunities for further research.