Methaval is a serious game designed for educational purposes, adaptable from middle school to post-secondary levels. This digital resource, which fits perfectly within the scope of industrial and technical culture in schools, will undoubtedly find its place among educators. Regardless of the objective, it aids in understanding the energy transition sector, specifically the production of « green gas. »
Frédéric Pinchon, project manager for « Digital Innovation – SCHOOL and INDUSTRY » at the Office of Digital Innovation Support and Applied Research at the Directorate of Digital Education, presents this serious game and its goals during an interview we recently conducted.
Why a Serious Game on Biogas Production?
Methaval is a project that completely aligns with the resources of the ETINCEL* platform, which aims to disseminate industrial and technical culture in schools. Initiated by the DNE four years ago, the primary goal was to create a digital educational resource to raise awareness about green gas or biogas approaches.
« This topic is highly relevant to sustainable development and the economic development of France in a rapidly evolving sector, » he emphasizes.
Initially, the project was overseen by AFDET, the French Association for the Development of Technical Education, to develop a serious game aimed at raising awareness among middle and high school students about energy careers, particularly in the biogas production sector.
This is a significant issue in the context of energy and ecological transition, focusing on an emerging renewable energy source in France.
Frédéric Pinchon, Project Manager for « Digital Innovation – SCHOOL and INDUSTRY », DNE
Project Partners:
- AFDET: Project leader
- Teréga: One of the two gas transmission network managers in France, particularly managing the network in the southwestern quarter of France.
- Campus of Trades and Qualifications for Energy Transition in Tarbes
- Réseau Canopé: Responsible for the pedagogical aspect and resource development
- NUMIX: Company that developed the serious game
- Existing Methanization Plant in Saint Sever de Rustan, Hautes-Pyrénées: « We drew significant inspiration from this existing methanization unit in the game’s modeling, » he explains.
Let’s Dive into the Game: What Will We Find?
The game aims to illustrate energy production from organic waste, known as « green gas » and biogas.
It targets general education, making it suitable for interdisciplinary work in middle schools, for instance; technological education in STI, or even in vocational pathways such as the recently introduced Bac Pro Techniciens Gaz, notes Frédéric Pinchon.
The game is divided into three main stages: the first, fairly general, is intended for general education use. « An AI questions the player about the ecological transition, the challenges, and renewable energy sources, and then sends the player back in time, » he explains.
Through a simulated town hall meeting organized within the game, players become aware of the political and general issues surrounding the installation of a methanization unit in a territory.
In the second part, the player delves deeper into technical aspects, « where territorial constraints for setting up a methanization unit must be considered, such as accounting for groundwater, proximity to agricultural installations, landscape preservation, etc. »
« At this point, the student, the player, must understand the typology of inputs and the necessity of having them, which means understanding the production chain of these plant materials to the methanization unit » he adds.
Finally, the last part aims to understand the operation of the methanization unit, from its creation to the reinjection of biogas into the city’s gas network.
« At this stage of the game, the student may face scenarios like breakdowns or shortages of plant material supply » describes Frédéric Pinchon.
These case studies are generally reserved for BTS (Brevet de Technicien Supérieur) students and vocational education.
The game can truly resonate with many teachers, depending on which part of the game they choose to implement with their students.
It is challenging to complete the game in one go, and we encourage teaching teams to identify in advance the part that best suits the intended use by the teacher.
Like all educational resources, it is available for free to the entire educational community.
For more information:
The game is available here: Réseau Canopé – Methaval
or here: 2050 A World of Renewable Energies by Teréga
*We already talked about ETINCEL in 2019 in Ludomag
Check out the Methaval teaser, and you won’t hesitate to use it with your students!
