Game-Based Learning (GBL)

Within a scenario of rapidly increasing convergence of digital technologies and integration of media services, the role of the creative content industry is expected to increase accordingly and the video games software industry plays a major role. In this general context, Digital Games use the platforms and techniques of the videogame industry to create products and services and have a potential to further education, health, public policy, government or corporate training, and strategic communication objectives.

Digital Games with useful objectives going beyond the simple fun of playing may serve social purposes like inclusion, health, skilling, learning and other public services, where their action complements more classical approaches. Because of their ludic dynamics, they are usually very welcome to different kind of public (not only youngsters) and this is their strength.

Considering that the video games industry is going through a period of change, including significant transformation in the value chain, Digital ‘Serious’ Games thus offer opportunities not only for the existing actors but also to new entrants with expertise in training, simulation, healthcare and social inclusion.

Objectives

The aim of the exploratory study is to better understand:

• what are the industrial, market, social opportunities and limitations of Digital Games for users' empowerment and as a tool for socio-economic inclusion of people at risk of exclusion (such as youth at risk, migrants, elderly, unemployed, low-educated);
• what are the technological, market, implementation, adoption and policy challenges of creating this potential and if and how policy actions could address the challenges identified.

Activities

The research will carry out the following activities:

1. Analysis of the State of Play of Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion

This analysis will specifically look at exploring the supply side, including various typologies of digital games, technological platforms; current knowledge of market diffusion and adoption; the state of the art of research and existing practice, as well as identifying the key actors involved in the domain. The goal of this analysis will be to define key (technological, research, policy, industry/market, social, economic) opportunities and challenges of putting Digital Games at the service of empowerment and social inclusion purposes, and to gather evidence of impact in this domain.

2. Vision Development

Building on the consolidated version of the Report of the State of Play, on the opportunities and key challenges identified, through a consultation process among EC policy officers, a common vision of the possible future application of Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion will be defined.

3. Development of a Roadmap for Action through Stakeholders' Consultation A multi-stakeholders consultation will be organized to enable a broader dialogue and engage stakeholders, validate the vision defined, identify stakeholders actions and build consensus on possible EC research and policy options to support the vision.

This study is co-funded by the Information Society Unit of the JRC-IPTS and DG INFSO ICT for Inclusion Unit. The JRC-IPTS conducts the study in collaboration with selected external experts in the domain of Digital Games and ICT for Social Inclusion.

JRC-IPTS is looking for examples of successful initiatives from across the world on the use of Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion, and for the participation of experts from research and practice in the development of the vision and roadmap. Please contact the Project Leader and the Scientific Coordinator if you wish to contribute to the future of Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion.

"We talk about creative learning. However, all learning involves some form of destruction, some form of creation and/or particular co-creation...(…) Learn to create, learn how to create disruptions, learning to create innovation, learning to live together to collaborate. But if Learning and Technology, together, can build and host its core in the destructive potential of creativity and, by extension, of the collaboration, the need for meaning in all this is imperative. It is crucial to making sense of all forms of learning: informal, formal, not formal."

Roberto Carneiro in Conference Book Creative Learning & Innovation: 2009.

With the purpose  to provide a methodology and a way to use Game-Based Learning by Training Companies/Organizations (focusing on SMEs and on the Social Economy) and VET organizations (including Higher Education) trough the knowledge producers and distributors: Trainers and Teachers.

Products and Results will be:

1. Documented methodologies for developing and implementing game-based learning for training and higher education actors and for the learning community in general.
2. Needs analysis assessment instruments for developing and implementing game-based learning for training and higher education actors.
3. Learning content and training methodologies (b-learning) for trainers and teachers developing and implementing game-based learning.
4. Workshops/seminars for supporting trainers/practitioners/teachers/tutors in developing a predictive and proactive capacity to select games for their use.
5. Documentation:reports, compendium, proceedings, guidelines.

GREAT project will explore the capability to influence, to involve and to bring together in specific moments some experts and recognized European authorities for focus based learning, trough their individual members and partners. Experienced users of different knowledge channels provided to the Commission, like Engage Learning, elearning papers, CEDEFOP and ETF papers, as well as members of DGEAC, DGINFSO, IPTS/JRC, DGEI and those who have access to the European learning platforms like EUCIS LLL and ETDF.

APG - Portuguese Association of Human Resources Managers leads the development partnership:

• FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences, Graz, Austria
• MERIG - Multidisziplinares Institut fur Europa-Forschung Graz
• AIF - Associazone Italiana Formatori
• Gazy University, na Turquia
• I.Zone Knowledge Systems

eLearning Europa: What were the targets of the Media & Learning 2011 conference? Were they met?

Sally Reynolds: In terms of numbers, we were keen to have somewhere between 250 and 300 people, 300 is about the maximum for the Flemish Ministry's facilities so our final number of 298 was really on target. But more importantly, we were keen to bring together practitioners engaged in educational media production and usage from different countries and to connect them with one another as well as with representatives from ministries, broadcast organisations, publishers, researchers and others interested in the possible links between media and learning, and in this too we believe we have been successful.

eLearning Europa: How do you evaluate the level of participation in the M&L 2011 event? What was the main target group?

Sally Reynolds: We are delighted with the level of participation, there was an excellent atmosphere of participation and collaboration and we see this reflected in the conference evaluation. People were really engaged and quite a few have described the conference as a whole to be highly motivational which is of course very encouraging. Our main target group was as previously described, and the fact that we had such a wide geographical spread of participation is very satisfying.

eLearning Europa: You have used various social networking tools to promote the M&L 2011 conference. How did they help?

Sally Reynolds: We have been busy online before the conference and in just 6 months, our Facebook and LinkedIn groups have grown really well. We also have a dedicated online conference community, which many people use to find out who will be at the conference and to make contact beforehand. We are determined with this conference to ensure there is excellent networking during the conference itself, which is why we make available the pigeon service which almost 80% of participants signed up to beforehand. This enabled any participant with a pigeon code to contact any other participant with a pigeon code using their own mobile phone without have to know one another's mobile number. We have had a lot of positive feedback about this service, which made a difference for many participants. Going to a conference is all about making new contacts and regardless of the size of the conference, we want to make sure people can network and communicate with one another successfully in a friendly and relaxed environment.

eLearning Europa: How do you evaluate the submissions in the MEDEA Awards?

Sally Reynolds: We are very pleased with the level of participation in the MEDEA Awards this year, with 115 entries from 28 countries. These entries were judged online by our judging panel of 75 education and media experts from 15 countries who evaluated the MEDEA entries in late September and early October.  This led to a list of 9 finalists and 13 Highly Commended entries. These 9 Finalists were invited to Brussels for the conference and took part in the MEDEA Awards ceremony last Thursday evening which went very well - we even had a live competition for the audience favourite which was very exciting.

It is interesting to see that educational games won in both the professionally produced and user-generated categories this year, which will certainly influence our conference programme design for 2012

eLearning Europa: Can you share with us some inside stories from the event? What was the biggest challenge?

Sally Reynolds: Conference organisation with almost 300 participants from so many countries is always a bit challenging, but we have a great team and super supporting organisations and friends, which makes the difference. Keeping the programme on schedule when so many people wanted to extend discussions, network with new people they had met and show one another excellent examples of media-supported learning did mean there were some fraught moments - but we managed to stay generally on time, which was a help!