The Art Nouveau Path: Integrating Cultural Heritage into a Mobile Augmented Reality Game to Promote Sustainability Competences Within a Digital Learning Ecosystem

The integration of sustainability competences into education presents significant challenges, particularly in embedding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into contextually relevant learning experiences. This study presents the design and validation of the Art Nouveau Path, a mobile augmented reality game (MARG) developed within the Project ecosystem to foster competences such as systems thinking, futures literacy, and sustainability values. Grounded in the GreenComp framework and employing a design-based research approach, the intervention was co-validated with 33 in-service teachers through a simulation-based workshop and a curricular review. Additionally, a diagnostic questionnaire was administered to over 200 students prior to gameplay to assess sustainability awareness and AR readiness. The results highlight the MARG’s educational value and interdisciplinary potential, engaging students with local heritage and sustainability challenges at both emotional and cognitive levels. Findings reveal a gap in students sustainability competences, highlighting the need for digital applications that support their development. The Art Nouveau Path provides a scalable model of immersive, curriculum-integrated ESD, demonstrating how digital heritage learning can promote sustainability values and contribute to the implementation of SDG 4.7 in formal education settings.