Role-playing and gamification as catalysts for environmental problem-solving in engineering education

Engineering education has long confronted a persistent challenge: enabling students to meaningfully connect abstract technical knowledge with the realities of professional engineering practice. While undergraduate curricula often emphasize analytical rigor, they frequently struggle to represent the social, regulatory, and operational contexts in which engineering decisions are made. This challenge is particularly pronounced in environmental engineering, where effective problem-solving requires navigating technical uncertainty alongside regulatory frameworks, stakeholder interests, and resource constraints (Kolmos et al., 2016).Despite sustained calls for reform, many engineering programs remain dominated by traditional instructional approaches centered on lectures and decontextualized problem sets.Although traditional instructional methods are effective for transmitting foundational knowledge, they often leave students underprepared for the ill-structured, collaborative problems encountered in real-world engineering practice (Felder Ortiz-Rojas et al., 2025;Tan et al., 2024;Norstrom et al., 2024).To clarify its scope, this article does not present results from a controlled experimental study. Instead, it offers a structured reflection on the design, implementation, and observed effects of a role-playing gamification pedagogy applied in environmental engineering courses.The contribution lies in articulating a replicable instructional framework and synthesizing practice-based observations that can inform future empirical research. The limitations of this reflective approach are discussed in a dedicated section.Traditional engineering instruction often emphasizes technical accuracy and procedural efficiency while giving less attention to contextual and situational understanding (Felder and Brent, 2016). Lectures and structured problem sets play an important role in building foundational knowledge; however, they often present engineering problems as well-defined, value-neutral, and solvable through purely technical reasoning. In contrast, professional engineering practice-particularly in environmental domains-is characterized by ambiguity, competing constraints, and negotiation among multiple stakeholders.In environmental engineering, decisions rarely involve isolated technical optimization.Engineers must routinely engage with regulators, consultants, plant operators, and community representatives, each bringing distinct priorities and evaluative criteria. When students encounter these dimensions only after graduation, transferring theoretical knowledge into practice becomes challenging-a concern widely documented in the engineering education literature (Kolmos et al., 2016;Borrego and Bernhard, 2011). Traditional instructional models may also limit students' motivation and sense of relevance.When learning tasks are disconnected from authentic practice, students may struggle to see the purpose of complex analytical content, particularly in later stages of the curriculum. Addressing these limitations requires pedagogical approaches that explicitly integrate technical learning with professional context and social interaction.Building on the theoretical foundation of situated learning, the author developed the Role-Playing Gamification Pedagogy and applied it in two environmental engineering courses. One course focused on complex, real-world challenges in water and wastewater treatment processes-an area well suited to role-based learning due to its technical, regulatory, and societal dimensions. Student teams selected project topics collaboratively and were assigned distinct professional roles, including Engineer, Plant Operator, Consultant, and Regulator.While related, gamification, role-play, and simulation serve distinct functions in this pedagogy. Gamification refers to the use of structured motivational and narrative elements, such as role identity, progression, and meaningful challenges, to enhance student engagement and ownership of learning tasks. Role-play provides the framework through which students adopt professional personas and enact authentic decision-making scenarios, emphasizing social interaction, negotiation, and responsibility. Simulation supports the experiential representation of technical and operational systems, allowing students to explore complex processes and practice problem-solving in a controlled, iterative environment. In this approach, gamification motivates participation, role-play structures authentic engagement, and simulation provides the technical context, together creating a cohesive, immersive learning experience.Each role is associated with clearly defined responsibilities, decision-making priorities, and assessment criteria, formalized through role-specific rubrics (see Table 1). The rubrics were designed to align student tasks with essential professional competencies, including problemsolving, communication, teamwork, ethical reasoning, and integrative thinking. This alignment ensures that each activity intentionally fosters the skills required for effective practice in environmental engineering. Table 1 demonstrates how specific responsibilities and assessment criteria correspond to these competencies, providing a clear connection between the instructional design, targeted learning outcomes, and accreditation standards (ABET, 2023).Importantly, no single role possesses complete authority or information, requiring students to engage in dialogue, justification, and negotiation to arrive at shared solutions.Prior to completing the role-playing projects, students participated in structured rehearsal activities using hands-on whiteboard exercises. These rehearsals provided a space for iterative problem formulation, visual modeling, and collaborative reasoning, allowing students to practice both technical and professional decision-making. Similar rehearsal-based approaches have been shown to support sense-making and collective problem-solving in active learning environments (Hmelo-Silver et al., 2007). Recent research on educational simulations further emphasizes that perceived authenticity is shaped by how well tasks align with real-world practice, the representation of stakeholders, and the continuity of the simulation experience (Corves et al., 2024).Although this implementation was not evaluated through a controlled experimental design, several consistent themes emerged from student reflections:1. Enhanced contextual understanding: Students demonstrated greater ability to frame technical problems within regulatory, operational, and stakeholder contexts.2. Improved engagement: Participation levels during class activities and project discussions were noticeably higher compared to prior offerings using traditional formats.3. Development of professional reasoning: Students increasingly justified decisions based on role-specific priorities (e.g., regulatory compliance, operational feasibility), demonstrating early forms of professional thinking.Collaborative problem-solving: Teams engaged in iterative negotiation processes, reflecting the distributed nature of real-world engineering decision-making.• "This course gave a very realistic look into the world of water treatment. I feel more prepared to apply for internships."• "Having hands-on learning with the whiteboard really helped connect theory to practice."These observations should be interpreted as exploratory insights rather than generalizable findings, providing a foundation for future empirical research.Motivation is a persistent concern in engineering education, particularly when students encounter unfamiliar or conceptually demanding material. In this pedagogy, gamification operates through narrative framing and structured progression toward meaningful outcomes, rather than through points or badges alone. Students are invited to imagine themselves as practicing professionals whose decisions have practical implications, increasing perceived relevance and ownership of learning tasks.When integrated with role-play and simulation, gamification enhances engagement by situating technical content within authentic professional decision-making scenarios. This combination creates immersive and interactive learning environments that not only motivate students but also support collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving. These effects are consistent with contemporary research on simulation-based learning, including virtual and AI-enhanced simulations, which demonstrates that such contexts can strengthen engagement, foster teamwork, and improve applied problem-solving skills (Subhash and Cudney, 2018;Tan et al., 2024;Lampropoulos and Kinshuk, 2024;Hong et al., 2025;Lim et al., 2025;Meng et al., 2024;Gini et al., 2025). While gamification and role-play enhance engagement and motivation, assessment is structured to ensure that participation translates into measurable professional competencies, as detailed below.Within the role-playing gamification pedagogy, assessment is organized around rolespecific rubrics that clarify expectations for each task. By linking responsibilities and evaluation criteria to key competencies, these rubrics offer students clear guidance on how their decisions and actions reflect professional standards, promoting meaningful skill development throughout the course.Table 1 illustrates how each role-Engineer, Plant Operator, Environmental Consultant, and Regulator-is associated with specific tasks, expected outputs, and corresponding points.For example, the Engineer is evaluated not only on technical accuracy but also on the clarity of problem definition and adherence to professional design standards, reflecting both analytical and ethical reasoning skills. Similarly, the Plant Operator is assessed on operational feasibility and practical application, which requires problem-solving and collaborative decision-making.By structuring assessment in this way, students are encouraged to engage in authentic professional behaviors, including negotiation, justification of decisions, and integration of diverse perspectives.The pedagogy further emphasizes collaboration and distributed responsibility, mirroring real-world engineering environments where no single individual possesses complete information or authority. Students must negotiate trade-offs, synthesize technical and contextual knowledge, and communicate effectively with team members holding different professional roles. Incorporating these collaborative tasks into assessment allows the rubric system not only to evaluate individual competencies but also to strengthen teamwork, interpersonal communication, and integrative thinking as fundamental elements of professional practice.Aligning assessment with professional competencies also facilitates both formative and summative evaluation. Clear criteria provide actionable feedback, enabling students to progressively develop technical, collaborative, and ethical skills needed for success in their careers. This approach makes learning transparent and guides students in connecting classroom performance with real-world expectations.Finally, the structured rubrics promote consistency and fairness in evaluation, ensuring that all students are assessed according to the same standards regardless of role or team composition. This rigor, coupled with the authentic and interactive nature of the tasks, enhances the credibility of the pedagogical approach and supports its potential for adoption in other engineering contexts.Beyond technical proficiency, engineering programs are increasingly expected to cultivate professional competencies such as teamwork, communication, ethical reasoning, and integrative thinking (National Academy of Engineering, 2005). These competencies are central to environmental engineering practice, where solutions emerge through interdisciplinary collaboration and stakeholder negotiation.Role-playing collaborative projects naturally support the development of these skills.Students must articulate their reasoning, listen to alternative perspectives, justify decisions, and reconcile competing priorities. Research on active learning, role-playing, simulation, and authentic assessment suggests that such practices can enhance cognitive engagement, support the application of knowledge to real-world problems, and foster the development of professional competencies (Prince, 2004;Hmelo-Silver et al., 2007;Kaldaras et al., 2024;Tan et al., 2024;Norstrom et al., 2024;Peters and Angelov, 2025;Lim et al., 2025;Sanz-Angulo et al, 2025).Within this pedagogy, collaboration is structurally required rather than optional. Because each role represents a distinct professional perspective, students must actively engage with the social and ethical dimensions of engineering problem-solving, reinforcing the integration of technical, ethical, and communicative skills. In this way, the pedagogy not only develops analytical capabilities but also cultivates the professional behaviors and mindsets essential for successful engineering practice.This Opinion challenges the assumption that pedagogical innovations such as gamification and role-play are best suited for introductory courses or enrichment activities. When thoughtfully designed and theoretically grounded, role-based gamified learning can support advanced learning outcomes while maintaining disciplinary rigor (Tene et al., 2025). By integrating technical content with professional context, this pedagogy enables students to engage with engineering problems as they are encountered in practice-complex, collaborative, and shaped by competing constraints.For educators, implementing this approach requires intentional instructional design. This includes clearly defined professional roles, alignment between learning objectives and assessment strategies, and structured opportunities for rehearsal and reflection. The use of rolespecific rubrics further ensures that both technical and professional competencies are explicitly addressed, reinforcing the connection between classroom learning and real-world expectations.At the institutional level, broader adoption of such pedagogies depends on recognizing instructional innovation as a meaningful form of scholarly contribution. Supporting faculty in experimenting with active, simulation-based, and role-oriented approaches is essential for advancing engineering education toward more authentic and practice-oriented learning environments.Recent scholarship on authentic assessment underscores the importance of designing evaluation tasks that reflect real-world complexity, encourage creativity, and allow flexibility in demonstrating learning (Ravi, 2023;Ravi and Besharat, 2026;Peters and Angelov, 2025).Building on this perspective, future research should examine not only the impact of roleplaying gamification pedagogy on student learning outcomes, but also its influence on professional identity formation and students' understanding of what it means to "think like an engineer" (Borrego and Bernhard, 2011).This work has several important limitations that should be considered when interpreting the findings. First, the study is based on reflective instructional practice in two environmental engineering courses and does not include a controlled or comparative research design. As such, the observations are context-specific and may not generalize to other instructional settings, disciplines, or student populations.Second, the evidence presented relies primarily on student perceptions and instructor observations. No direct or quantitative measures of learning gains were collected, and therefore the findings do not provide conclusive evidence of improved academic performance or skill development. While student reflections offer valuable insight into perceived learning and engagement, they should be interpreted with caution.Third, the absence of a baseline or comparison group limits the ability to attribute observed outcomes solely to the role-playing gamification pedagogy. Other factors-such as course structure, student cohort characteristics, or instructor facilitation-may have influenced the results.Accordingly, the findings should be understood as exploratory and hypothesis-generating rather than confirmatory. Future research should employ mixed-method, quasi-experimental, or experimental designs to more rigorously evaluate the impact of this pedagogical approach on learning outcomes, student engagement, and the development of professional competencies.Environmental engineering education must prepare students not only to master technical principles but also to engage productively with complexity, uncertainty, and collaborationconditions that define contemporary professional practice. Traditional instructional approaches, while effective for foundational learning, often fall short in supporting the transfer of knowledge to authentic engineering contexts. This limitation highlights a gap between classroom learning and professional practice, underscoring the need for pedagogical approaches that integrate technical rigor with professional realism and provide opportunities for applied, collaborative problem-solving. This Opinion reflects on the implementation of role-playing gamification pedagogy as a promising instructional approach for addressing these challenges. By situating technical content within realistic professional roles and collaborative problem-solving scenarios, this pedagogy enables students to experience engineering as a socially embedded and decisiondriven practice. Rather than treating gamification as a motivational add-on, the approach leverages narrative structure, role identity, and purposeful challenge to sustain engagement and deepen learning. Importantly, role-based gamified learning also supports the development of professional competencies-such as communication, teamwork, and integrative thinking-that are essential to ethical and effective environmental engineering practice. Student reflections from these courses suggest that such experiences can enhance learners' confidence, preparedness, and understanding of professional expectations. These outcomes align closely with accreditation goals and industry expectations, though they remain anecdotal and require further study.Looking forward, broader adoption of role-playing gamification pedagogy will require institutional support, thoughtful instructional design, and continued scholarly engagement. In addition, further studies are needed to investigate how role-based pedagogical approaches influence students' perceptions of engineering practice and contribute to their evolving understanding of professional roles within the field. By embracing pedagogical approaches that reflect the realities of professional practice, engineering education can move toward learning experiences that are not only technically rigorous but also meaningful, motivating, and professionally transformative.While the observations presented here are preliminary and not derived from formal experimental evaluation, they point to the potential of role-playing gamification pedagogy as a meaningful direction for instructional innovation. By providing a structured yet flexible framework for integrating technical knowledge with professional context, this approach offers a basis for future empirical research aimed at rigorously assessing its effectiveness and scalability.