Context
The question of national, European and international citizenship is increasingly present in national debates. Terrorist attacks and threats, but also the influx of migrants to Europe reinforce these debates. Inequalities still persist in the EU such as gender inequalities. Women represent only 12%of executive positions in the public sector, 17% of corporate executives and 24% of CAC40 board members. (Montaigne Institute) Finally, the latest IPCC report of 2018 reported alarming findings on biodiversity and global warming. Without raising the ambition of the signatory countries of the Paris Agreement and without immediate implementation of the necessary measures, global warming should reach 3 ° C by 2100, leading to irreversible disruption.
In this context, schools, both a place for the transmission of knowledge and the learning of citizenship, therefore appear as the ideal place to make learners aware of issues quoted above. This is why a consortium of university partners and NGOs from 7 European countries has decided to join forces to produce innovative content to raise awareness of these issues through the project JEU: Let's play together for the European Union.
Aim
Our project therefore aims to contribute to the creation of a more inclusive and respectful European society by raising the awareness and empowerment of learners and their teachers to European citizenship, gender equality and environmental protection. In order to achieve the objectives, research and capitalization on previous projects have highlighted two findings: the effectiveness of serious games as initiators of awareness for learners, and the need for teachers to be trained in their use.
Thus, the following activities have been identified:
- Creation of 2 serious immersive games based on active pedagogy for middle school and high school students (1 middle school game and 1 high school game), game each accompanied by a booklet for teachers.
- The on-line training of teachers, so that they themselves can educate their students and so multiply the impact of the project.
The target audience is composed of:
- Middle and high school students from 12 to 18 years, future users of 2 serious games and their teachers from 7 European countries. (at least 5,000 people)
- From 18 to 25 years old students participating in mobility (at least 84 students) to create the games
- Educational institutions in several European countries mobilized in the creation of content
Project activities
The project methodology will be based on consultation of all partners in all project activities. The methodology of creating a game will itself be innovative (example of the game for middle school):
- Survey of middle school students from the countries concerned to define the relevant sub-themes
- Student mobility to create draft games
- Work of the game selected during the mobility by NGO partners and associated universities
- Free dissemination of the finalized game.
Although involved in all work packages, as are all the project partners, AP was assigned two specific tasks, the creation of an e-learning course and the organization of a student mobility in Antwerp (jaunuary 2022).
For the e-learning course, aimed towards participating students allowing them to prepare for their participation in the student mobilities, a gamified e-course was designed. The gamification brought in a fun factor (mystery game) enticing students to study the learning content provided by the NGO’s.
Results and impact
The expected results and impacts are as follows:
- Greater openness of learners from 12 to 18 years old and a desire to get involved: all work will promote the emergence of learners, future citizens, informed, responsible and open to others. They will encourage living together in our societies.
- Strengthening the skills of teachers: serious games will be designed as a ready-to-use tool. A booklet will be created to facilitate their use as well as an on-line training.
- Linking the audience: in the form of a learning management system, the external web platform/mobile application will serve as a central location for all the tools created and will allow the linking of learners and teachers from several European countries.
- Opening on Europe via European mobility for participating students.
- Contribution to European objectives: the activities of this project are part of the Europe strategy of the European Union, particularly in the context of education and social inclusion.
- Creation of a synergy between associations in the formal education sector and Higher Education.
In the medium and long term, the dissemination of the tools created can continue very easily. They will be distributed free of charge via the external web platform and the various resource centers and local and international networks of the project partners. In addition, the institutional partners involved in the project will also be bridges to multiply the long-term impact.