Mario BarajasUniversity of Barcelona

TEACHERS AS GAMES DESIGNERS: TEACHERS AS GAMES DESIGNERS: TOWARDS CREATIVE TEACHINGTOWARDS CREATIVE TEACHING

CREATIVITY & INNOVATIONCREATIVITY & INNOVATION

European Parliament and the CouncilEuropean Parliament and the Council› “Europe needs innovation, and learning systems which

inspire innovation” › Creativity should be seen “as a driver for innovation and as

a key factor for the development of personal, occupational, entrepreneurial and social competences”

CREATIVITY & INNOVATIONCREATIVITY & INNOVATION

Council conclusions on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (‘ET 2020’)

Strategic objective 4: Strategic objective 4: “Enhancing creativity and innovation, including

entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training.”

CREATIVITY AT WORKCREATIVITY AT WORK

Ferrán Adrià, head chef of El Bulli, the best restaurant of the world for 5 years

“At the beginning I just copied what others did…to be creative is precisely to not to copy.”

“If you want to be creative you have to work very hard”

CREATIVITY IN ARTCREATIVITY IN ART

CREATIVITY & LEARNINGCREATIVITY & LEARNING“Education has the dual power to cultivate and to stifle creativity” (UNESCO, 1972)

THE CREATIVE TEACHERTHE CREATIVE TEACHER“Using imaginative approaches to make learning more interesting, exciting and effective” (NACCCE, 1999)

GAME-BASED LEARNINGGAME-BASED LEARNING

TEACHING CREATIVELY

“Using imaginative approaches to make learning more interesting, exciting and effective” (NACCCE, 1999)

GAME-BASED LEARNING (GBL) Enhances learners’ motivation Increase players’ immersion, attention span, and learning

outcomes

› Provide challenging experiences that promote intrinsic satisfaction of players

› Risk-free learning environments › Enable learner’s self-evaluation

GAME-BASED LEARNINGGAME-BASED LEARNING

““Players have fun while playing a game—they have to Players have fun while playing a game—they have to learn it” learn it” (Prensky, 2001) (Prensky, 2001)

GAME-BASED LEARNINGGAME-BASED LEARNING

Video games as genuine learning environments, allow Video games as genuine learning environments, allow forfor

› Active Learning› Exploratory Learning› Meta-cognitive skills› Problem-Based Learning

GAME-BASED LEARNINGGAME-BASED LEARNING

Barriers to games in formal learningBarriers to games in formal learning› Teachers' expectations› Integration into the curriculum› Managers’ and parents’ concerns

THE PROACTIVE APPROACHTHE PROACTIVE APPROACH

TEACHERTEACHER

Designs his / her own GBL scenario

Puts the GBL scenario into practice with his / her students

THE PROACTIVE PROJECT THE PROACTIVE PROJECT

KA3 - ICTKA3 - ICTJanuary 2010 – December 2011January 2010 – December 2011

FOSTERING TEACHERS’ CREATIVITY THROUGH GBLFOSTERING TEACHERS’ CREATIVITY THROUGH GBL

Universitat de Barcelona (coordinator) - Spain Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma - Italy CAST Ltd. - UK Università di Napoli - Italy Universidad Complutense de Madrid - Spain Universidad de Bucharest - Romania

THE PROACTIVE PROJECT THE PROACTIVE PROJECT

TEACHERS AS GAME DESIGNERSTEACHERS AS GAME DESIGNERS

Design of GBL scenarios Design of GBL scenarios tailored to specific teaching tailored to specific teaching

contexts and students’ profilescontexts and students’ profiles

Creative GBL teaching and Creative GBL teaching and learning practiceslearning practices

Creative Creative teacherteacher

FIVE METAPHORS FOR LEARNINGFIVE METAPHORS FOR LEARNING

Imitation

Acquisition

Participation

Discovery

Exercising

TEACHER TRAINING AND CO-DESIGNTEACHER TRAINING AND CO-DESIGN

TEACHERS RESEARCHERS

DESIGN OF A GBL SCENARIO› Planning of GBL activities › Development of an educational game using <e-Adventure> and EUTOPIA editors

GBL SCENARIOSGBL SCENARIOS

58 GBL scenarios 58 GBL scenarios › 29 for schools› 15 for vocational training › 14 for universities

A wide range of subjects coveredA wide range of subjects covered› Local history, medical education, physics, negotiation skills, forensic

skills, ICT, etc.

GBL SCENARIOSGBL SCENARIOS

Examples of games created by teachersExamples of games created by teachers

MAIN PROJECT OUTCOMESMAIN PROJECT OUTCOMES Adapted release of EUTOPIA and <e-Adventure> game editorsAdapted release of EUTOPIA and <e-Adventure> game editors

Collection of Templates and librariesCollection of Templates and libraries

MAIN PROJECT OUTCOMESMAIN PROJECT OUTCOMES A repository of 60 GBL scenariosA repository of 60 GBL scenarios

GACET’11 Conference - Games and Creativity in Education and TrainingGACET’11 Conference - Games and Creativity in Education and Training

Conference bookConference book

MAIN PROJECT OUTCOMESMAIN PROJECT OUTCOMES

MAIN PROJECT OUTCOMESMAIN PROJECT OUTCOMES Psycho-pedagogical Framework for Fostering GBL CreativityPsycho-pedagogical Framework for Fostering GBL Creativity

Handbook for the Production of Creative GBL ScenariosHandbook for the Production of Creative GBL Scenarios

Guidelines for Game-Based Learning PracticesGuidelines for Game-Based Learning Practices

IMPLEMENTATION IN THE CLASSROOMIMPLEMENTATION IN THE CLASSROOM

18 GBL scenarios tested18 GBL scenarios tested 9 pilot sites with9 pilot sites with

› More than 120 school students

› Around 100 university students

› Around 100 vocational training students

OPPORTUNITIESOPPORTUNITIES Game design is fun Collaborative game design is richer

than working individually Game design allows for using

different learning metaphors (for mostly participation and discovery)

GBL enriches the role of teacher

OPPORTUNITIESOPPORTUNITIES GBL is a way to get closer to

students GBL stimulates self-regulation and

learning by doing GBL encourages collaboration

among students, and competition, too

GBL helps improve the visibility of the institutions

CHALLENGESCHALLENGES

GBL design requires training and support GBL design requires a big time investment Technical constraints can limit creativity

FINAL REMARKS: Organisational levelFINAL REMARKS: Organisational level

the school system remains content oriented.

Limited support to innovation: time constraints and lack of incentives

FINAL REMARKS: Pedagogical levelFINAL REMARKS: Pedagogical level

GBL allows for using different (combinations of) learning metaphors

GBL breaks the boundaries between formal and informal learning

To innovate teaching practices through GBL at school requires to integrate it in traditional practices

FINAL REMARKS: Professional developmentFINAL REMARKS: Professional development

Technology (GBL) is not enough: promote training that is seen as meaninful, and professionally effective

Promote teachers training that is shared with colleagues, within the school activities

Thanks for you attention.Thanks for you attention.

Mario BarajasMario BarajasUniversity of Barcelonambarajas@ub.eduwww.futurelearning.org

http://www.proactive-project.euhttp://www.proactive-project.eu