Date of Award

6-12-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2026

Department

Computer Science and Engineering

First Advisor

Sharon Hsiao

Abstract

Our Roots is a community-centered, web-based social game designed to improve sustainability education by turning everyday environmental actions into shared, visible progress. While many existing tools provide information about sustainability, they often focus on individual tracking and short-term motivation, which can lead to disengagement over time. This project addresses that gap by reframing sustainability as a social practice: users log real-world sustainable behaviors, earn points, and see those actions represented as growth in both personal and community digital gardens. By combining friendly competition, peer visibility, and collective outcomes, the platform encourages users to view sustainability not as an isolated task, but as a shared responsibility.

The project work included defining user-centered design goals, developing the core game mechanics, and building an interactive prototype that links action logging to garden visualization, leaderboards, and shared community feedback. The resulting system demonstrates how visual storytelling and social accountability can make sustainability progress more understandable, motivating, and emotionally meaningful than data-heavy dashboards alone. Early outcomes indicate that participants are more likely to stay engaged when their contributions are visible to others and when group progress depends on continued participation. These findings suggest that sustained behavior change is better supported by collaborative, feedback-rich environments than by information delivery alone. In conclusion, Our Roots shows the potential of social gaming and interactive design to foster long-term pro-environmental habits. Future improvements should include expanded action verification, more personalized goal pathways, and longitudinal evaluation to measure lasting behavioral impact across diverse user communities.

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