lnnovative lnterdisciplinary Contextual Education Using Games Development Erasmus Project

Project Title

lnnovative lnterdisciplinary Contextual Education Using Games Development

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

The project Genius – Innovative Interdisciplinary Contextual Education Using Games Development goal was to design and implement a new didactic methodology for soft-skills development using contextual games.
The modern knowledge-based society puts a high demand on new young people who are fresh to the labour market. European surveys indicate that youth in Europe face challenges related to low level of development of soft competencies such as:
– ability to work in interdisciplinary and international project groups,
– ability of cross-cultural understanding, critical thinking, communication, self-direction and creativity,
– low level of knowledge of spoken English,
– ability to create a contextual game scenario on selected topics in an interdisciplinary team,
– spirit of entrepreneurship.
These challenges should be faced at a transnational level as entrepreneurial skills are becoming increasingly recognized as necessary skills for students all over the world to thrive in the 21st century.
The project Genius targets these issues. The new method developed during the last three years allows increasing the level of skills needed in the modern job market. Most young people are interested in new technologies and are familiar with mobile games and applications. Therefore, the designed methodology is based on a creative activity like mobile game development. During the event that implements the approach, the participants are asked to create, in a small team, a mobile game or application on a selected topic. The teamwork and creative task put high demand on soft skills like communication, creativity, critical and innovative thinking, etc.
During the project, five partners from Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Poland, and Portugal have developed the method as well as tested it in a real environment during two LTT activities. In the project participated 92 students and, 15 academic teachers. In the duration of the project, didactic courses that can been used in blended games development events and the Protocol of Implementation that described developed methodology and provides a guideline for implementation have been prepared. During the LTT activities, teams of students have prepared 15 prototypes of contextual games on two themes: “Elderly care in Europe, especially in Finland” and “Motivate people to sports activities in the city of Antwerp”.

The methodology for soft skills development with the use of contextual game development can be used by university-like educational institutions as well as by other entities who perform non-formal types of education. Especially, the method can be used for the integration and introduction of a group of new employees in the company during internships. The consortium has created the Implementation Protocol. This guide can be used to implement the method by the followers. It has to be mentioned that not all Genius-like project participants have to have a computer science background. Quite in the opposite, only about 25-30% of participants should have IT knowledge rest can represent different areas. The multidisciplinary is very important in the approach.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 199348 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIWERSYTET LODZKI & Country: PL

Project Partners

• DUNDALK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
• ARTESIS PLANTIJN HOGESCHOOL ANTWERPEN
• Instituto Superior Politécnico Gaya
• CENTRIA AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY