Young Masters of Games Erasmus Project

Project Title

Young Masters of 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 Schools Only

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

Background
We’re approaching a more and more digitalized life. Today, 90 percent of the UK population are smart phone users and 92 percent have computers with Internet connection. We can hardly predict what the future will bring in terms of digitalization, but we know that computer science and knowledge of coding and programming will be in demand, and that we need to start teaching it in early ages.

Several countries in Europe already have realized that fact and have included programming in their school’s curricula . In most EU countries, many schools start realizing that learning programming in early ages will be necessary for our children’s future success on the labour market. Computer Science is secondary schools are becoming extremely important and has been one of the essential curriculum subjects. In most UK secondary schools, children follow BBC’s MICROBITS micro-computer program. London Nautical School, the coordinating school, is one of those lucky schools in the UK that has been implementing the program since September 2016. We are also aware that a large number of our students in the UK spend considerable time in front of the computers, surfing on Internet or playing games. As a result; computer science, games and gaming technology hence the game design is essential part of the young kid’s life.

The aims and objectives of the project
In this project we wish to:
• Raise the teachers’ awareness of the need of computer science in secondary schools
• Increase the young students awareness of how to behave on Internet, what safety and integrity means and requires; raise their understanding of availability, handling and monitoring information, communication and interaction through online games and social medias
• Teach the students simple programming (either text based or visual) in order to be able to create video games for tablets, PC, mobile devices or internet.
• Vitalize other subjects (Math, Science and Technology) by programming.
• Stimulate and release the students’ creativity by integrating for example game playing in different subjects
• Stimulate the students’ logical thinking and creative problem solutions in Math and Science, by teaching them programming

Number and type/profile of participants
There are 4 secondary schools from Spain, Portugal, Finland and UK (Coordinating country). All schools are non-profit making public schools.

Possible activities
• Exchange of experiences, lessons plans, materials
• Visiting each other’s lessons
• Teaching in each other’s classes
• Training of teachers and students about source criticism, web resources, media and information technology, laws and policies concerning Internet
• Training of teachers in how to regularly use programming and coding in teaching, possibly developing an international course for teachers
• Encourage teaching and learning PYTHON Object Oriented Programming as well as develop PYTHON GAMES using PYGAME.
• Creating a game by the students in the different schools together
• Producing and testing a syllabus/activity plan for computer science and programming for students ages 11-14

Expected effects/results
In the short run we expect the project to increase understanding of:
• the necessity of computer science as a subject in secondary school
• on-line work for teachers and students
• logical thinking in Computer Science and Maths, by using programming

In the long run we expect the project to increase
• knowledge in computer science and programming
• the students’ curiosity in computer science
• the targeted students’ achievements in Math
• number of pedagogical tools in teaching
• using games as a pedagogical tool

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 87265 Eur

Project Coordinator

London Nautical School & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Luvian yhtenäiskoulu
• Hermandad Sacerdotes Operarios Diocesanos Sagrado Corazón de Jesús-Colegio PioXII
• Agrupamento de Escolas de Frazão, Paços de Ferreira