BIG STEP: Learning through Gamification – Integration of the vulnerable groups Erasmus Project

Project Title

BIG STEP: Learning through Gamification – Integration of the vulnerable groups

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 adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

As it has been the case in the European Union (EU) during the last few years, large migration waves of people in need of international protection have arrived from countries and territories that suffer from war disasters, dictatorships, etc. in pursuit of a new home. In order for those people to live, work and prosper along with the receiving communities, they need to be integrated into the host countries’ environment – and this has been the greatest challenge for almost all EU countries. The most effective way to accomplish integration and social inclusion has proven to be by learning to communicate with the local population and get acquainted with their cultural particularities and their lifestyle.
In this regard, the main objective of “BIG STEP: Learning through Gamification – Integration of the vulnerable groups” has been to develop an innovative educational 2-D serious video game, which helps refugees, immigrants and other vulnerable groups to integrate through learning core elements of their host country’s language, while also familiarising with local cultural aspects. To do so, we have used the Gamification methodology, which is the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g. point scoring) to other areas of activity, such as teaching, in order to encourage engagement, interaction, learning flow and evaluation of participants.
The participating organizations were brought together in the base of common objectives and formed a cohesive partnership in which each partner complements each other in terms of expertise, skills and knowledge, as well as in terms of operational and functional background. In addition, all 6 partners have extensive knowledge of their local needs and were able to make a unique contribution to all project activities. More specifically, UCLL, a Higher Education Institution (HEI) from Flanders, has been the lead partner as it possesses the gamification knowhow, having built similar game-engines for other contexts with success. Neapolis University Pafos is another HEI from Cyprus with valuable scientific and technical research background as well. University Rehabilitation Institute from Slovenia has a major experience in supporting and working with disadvantaged groups. OECON Group from Greece brought its quality assurance experience from previous EU projects’ implementation. Komunikujeme from Czech Republic added value to the communication and dissemination activities. Last but not least, the Institute of Psychosocial Development from Greece brought its expertise in counseling and supporting disadvantaged individuals.
To achieve the planned objectives, the project was divided into 3 main activities (Intellectual Outputs) that are shortly described as follows:
1. Research and Preparation – each partner conducted primary research through questionnaires in order to gather information regarding our target groups’ needs, literacy skills and ICT competences. Also, each partner conducted a nationwide desk research to formulate cultural particularities reports that included all necessary country information that a foreigner should be aware of in order to live and integrate in the respective country.
2. Design and Development – the information from the questionnaires and reports of the previous activity was used for the development of the game’s chapters, with variations based on the target groups’ needs and on each country’s particularities.
3. Testing and Implementation – after the first versions of the game were developed, the project’s experts tested them in the reception, protection and support structures of each partner’s region, in order to receive feedback and improve the game.
In this direction, the main practical results attained have been the following:
– 5 National Reports, 123 Questionnaires and 1 Overall Final Report summarizing all the findings and information gathered during research;
– 1 functioning online Game, freely available and translated-modified in all partners’ languages and country particularities, without an expiration date;
– 1 Instruction Manual for utilizing the Game, translated in English, Arabic and in all partners’ languages;
– 130 Questionnaires received after the testing of the Game from our target groups.
The project’s impact and longer-term benefits can be summarized as follows:
– Introduction of an innovative educational method that combines learning while having fun;
– Integration of users to the host countries through enhancement of their literacy skills, ICT competences and cultural awareness;
– More active participation, more positive attitude and increased employment opportunities for the target groups and experts involved;
– Exchange of good practices between organizations internal and external to the project, and establishment of synergies;
– Interaction between research, business and policy (the triple helix).

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 213122,98 Eur

Project Coordinator

UC LIMBURG & Country: BE

Project Partners

• KOMUNIKUJEME OPS
• SULEYMAN DEMIREL UNIVERSITY
• APOSTOLINA TSALTAMPASI KAI SIA EE
• INSTITOYTO PSYCHOKOINONIKIS ANAPTYXIS
• UNIVERZITETNI REHABILITACIJSKI INSTITUT REPUBLIKE SLOVENIJE-SOCA
• NEAPOLIS UNIVERSITY