Europe Alive – Computer Assisted Simulation for Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

Europe Alive – Computer Assisted Simulation for Education

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Our motivation for applying to Erasmus+ for funds to develop the Europe Alive project was the worry that young European Citizens feel increasingly distant from the EU democratic processes, and that learning about the EU in the Social Sciences has low interest with students in many European countries, including Denmark, Germany and The Netherlands.

Our overall objective was to develop an innovative role playing game as well as surrounding teaching materials that would give secondary level students a) better knowledge of the EU law-making process, b) higher motivation for learning more about the EU and higher interest in EU politics, and c) practice in debating, negotiating and taking a political stance. We believe we have achieved this by developing a hybrid: a digital role play that ties in with traditional classroom education and which facilitates extensive interpersonal contact between student participants.

We have reached 52 teachers and 886 secondary level students within our project period. Europe Alive has the potential to reach many more, but was severely struck by Covid-19 restrictions.

The main activities of the Europe Alive project have been:
Intellectual Output 1:
– Defining the intended learning outcomes and didactical framework
– Anchoring teaching contents in the national Social Sciences curricula of the partner countries
– Drafting Factsheet 1 & 2
– Drafting the follow-up module
– Involving teachers and students in quality checking the IO1

Intellectual Output 2:
– Drafting Storyboard 1-5
– Graphic design
– Role play design
– Programming the digital platform
– Evaluating and quality checking the digital platform

Dissemination and Evaluation:
– Participation at online workshops
– Seeking partnerships with key actors in all three partner countries
– ‘Minimum viable product’ test
– Evaluation 1 of pilot test
– Evaluation 2 of the DK multiplier event & teacher onboarding

In addition, numerous activities regarding partner communication and project management will be described further in the coming report.

Many participating students reported gaining higher understanding as well as interest in the EU and politics at the European level. Many participating teachers agreed that Europe Alive succeeds in teaching difficult EU-curricula while fostering political awareness in the students. We believe that Europe Alive has the potential to invoke a sense of ownership and engagement in the European Union for the participating students.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 444341 Eur

Project Coordinator

Dansk Kommunikation ApS & Country: DK

Project Partners

• LANDESARBEITSGEMEINSCHAFT FUR POLITISCH-KULTURELLE BILDUNG IN BRANDENBURG EV
• GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ UNIVERSITAET HANNOVER
• Teach the Future
• Samfundsfagsnyts Forlags-Fond