Creative and Innovative Training Based on Digital Materials and Games Erasmus Project

Project Title

Creative and Innovative Training Based on Digital Materials and Games

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 school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

A sine qua non of successful learning is motivation: a motivated learner can’t be stopped. Content to be learned by students and traditional methods are boring for digital natives. Teachers must do their best to adapt to this century and continuously work at learning the new technological language, whereas digital natives were born into retrieving information, problem solving, and communicating with this technology. Moreover, pre and primary school teachers graduate from the university without specifications for teaching art, music, english, physical education and are inadequate in the methodology of teaching basic algorithm and coding which is essential in 21st century.
The aims of this project were a) to prepare new international creative digital learning materials in art, music, english, physical exercise and algorithm, technology integrated game based learning in early childhood education, b) train teachers in ICT literacy, Educational Technology and Gamification to become leaders with deeper understanding and mastery of educational technology and game based learning , and support teachers and schools via the Adaptation Guide, Digital Support Library and Information Management System. Provincial Directorate of Education of Ankara, Hacettepe University, Hitit University and Provincial Directorate of Opera and Ballet in Mersin from Turkey together with Kindergarten “Mecho Pooh”(Bulgaria), I Circolo Didattico San Filippo (Italy), Základná skola Turnianska (Slovakia) and Cromwell Preschool and Nursery and Infant class (England) built a diverse and specialized team with academicians, teachers, programmers, graphic and animation specialists, artists, musicians and athlets in order to prepare innovative and creative game based digital material modules supportive for preschool and primary school teachers. 996 students (3-7 years) and 134 teachers participated directly in this study. After the determination of the global content with all partners, 5 digital learning modules in english, art, music, physical exercise and algorithm & coding were prepared by the Information and educational technologies department of Ankara MEM and integrated to the traditional curriculum with an “Digital Material Adaptation Guide”. The development of students in the related skills were determined by a) Pretest- Post test assessment in Bulgaria, b) computer based assessment within the modules, c) Observation based evaluation forms during the classroom and real life experiences (concert and opera). Teachers were trained for 5 days in an short term staff training for introducing these game based materials to students, implementing them with supportive traditional activities and evaluating the students in both computer based assessment and observational assessment via scientific scales and questionnaires. A control group was included from local Turkish preschools and Bulgaria to eliminate the effect of maturation on skill development during the study. An online teacher training was prepared in order to improve teachers ICT literacy, knowledge in 21st century skills and gamification and teachers were also trained in the Educational Technology and Gamification trainings for an effective use of technology in preschools and K12 classes. Teachers also practiced photography and digital photography and Montesorri Method in a short term staff training.
Students improved in English vocabulary, motor skills, art and music knowledge and critical thinking skills as well as emotional skills and cultural development compared to students that learned with traditional methods. Results of this longitudinal quasi-experimental study with Scientific evaluation and statistical analysis (SPSS) were shared on International Technology Summits in 2016, 2017 and 2018, International FIEP Congress 2018 and also published in scientific journal. Students gained a positive attitude in physical exercise and increased physical activity level, learning a second language, whereas teachers gained an expanded insight to 21st century’s learning skills and improved their ICT literacy and practiced gamification in class. All digital modules, materials and LMS for teachers will be shared via www.dmcit.org and www.playlearntrain.org websites for the next years.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 399081 Eur

Project Coordinator

ANKARA MILLI EGITIM MUDURLUGU & Country: TR

Project Partners

• HACETTEPE UNIVERSITESI
• Mersin Devlet Opera ve Balesi Mudurlugu
• Základná skola Turnianska 10, 851 07 Bratislava
• I Circolo Didattico San Filippo
• DETSKA GRADINA MECHO PUH
• Cromwell Primary School
• Hitit Üniversitesi