Reducing Psychological Distance in Climate Education: The Krill Project Integrating GreenComp, DigComp, and LifeComp+

Reducing Psychological Distance in Climate Education: The Krill Project Integrating GreenComp, DigComp, and LifeComp
Written by Şebnem Gürler

Closing the Psychological Gap: Making Invisible Ecosystems Meaningful

One of the most significant challenges in environmental education is that individuals fail to see the connection between their daily lifestyle choices and environmental changes in distant geographies. This phenomenon, defined in environmental psychology as "psychological distance" (Spence, Poortinga & Pidgeon, 2012), explains how individuals perceive climate threats as physically, temporally, or socially distant from themselves.

Our project, carried out at Çorlu Science and Art Center during the 2024–2025 academic year and awarded first prize in the TÜBİTAK 2204-C Polar Research Competition, aimed to close this gap by having students make decisions from the perspective of krill (Euphausia superba). Through a hybrid learning scenario blending digital games, experiential STEAM activities, and drama-based workshops, students experienced systemic vulnerabilities via a small creature and concretely grasped the impact of their consumption choices on the carbon cycle and food chain.

Why Krill?

Krill is the "invisible hero" of the Antarctic ecosystem. It is a food source for numerous species—from whales and penguins to seals and seabirds—and also plays a climate-regulating role by transporting large amounts of carbon to the ocean floor. Despite their small size, krill served as a powerful metaphor for students: "You may be small, but your impact can be enormous."

Integration of GreenComp, DigComp, and LifeComp

Our project was conducted by integrating three competency frameworks proposed by the European Commission:

GreenComp:

• Session on ecosystem vulnerability with an Antarctic case study.
• Awareness workshops with animations on the krill–climate relationship.
• Scenario-based experiments with food chain cards.
• STEAM activities for waste awareness.

DigComp:

• A two-stage digital game was developed:
  Stage 1: Krill-themed knowledge game
  Stage 2: Decision-making scenario
• Students produced their own digital products through animation workshops.

LifeComp:

• Empathy-based writing with "A Krill's Diary" activity.
• Role-playing and drama cards (whale, human, fisherman, krill).
• Family tasks (reducing plastic, saving water, etc.) to extend learning to the home environment.

Method

The project was carried out using a gamified, student-led, and interdisciplinary model:

• Students produced animated content,
• Wrote and tested web-based game scenarios,
• Co-developed evaluation criteria,
• Applied their learning at home and in their social environment, taking on the role of "environmental advocates."

Measurement and Concrete Impact

The project was evaluated through pre- and post-tests:

• 24% increase in systems thinking skills,
• 36% increase in environmental empathy expressions,
• 41% increase in sustainable living awareness.

Additionally, parental involvement ensured that learning extended beyond the classroom to family life and daily behaviors.

Making the Invisible Visible

This project made the invisible connections within the polar ecosystem visible, enabling students to develop ecological awareness on both cognitive and emotional levels. Through game-based experiences, students understood the cascading effects of individual consumption behaviors on the global carbon balance.

Krill became a symbol of responsibility, systems thinking, and sustainability for students. This model can be adapted to different educational settings and has the potential to be scaled across Europe.

Noticing a small krill can be the first step toward big change.

I would like to conclude by sharing a short student video that reflects our learning journey:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UFNBtX7qL024EY6453GKrgFhVTw6a_Zl/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11sqVbmzE6dZNul39rotR5Mb9KzAktu4A/view?usp=drive_link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ogy6PHhEExK_jbQos8Wf9E0expFLMXZX/view?usp=drive_link

Bibliography
Spence, A., Poortinga, W., & Pidgeon, N. F. (2012). The Psychological Distance of Climate Change. Risk Analysis, 32(6), 957–972. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2011.01695.x