The project "MathGAMES - Games And Mathematics in Education for Adults – Compendiums, Guidelines and Courses for Numeracy Learning Methods Based on Games" is producing a compendium and a guidebook in 9 languages, which should give the answer to two main questions while rising numeracy in education: 1. How can we reduce the number of under skilled adults to promote social integration and participation into our society: a. how can we increase incentives for adult training by using games, b. how can we offer tailored learning opportunities to individual learners by using games, c. how can we provide information on access to the services of adult learning. 2. How can we save traditional and famous games in different countries from a loss? During the project, the project partners will collect real examples, in which playing traditional games could bring low-skilled people out of isolation and helps participating in our society. In this part the mobility of trainers is necessary. In parts normal skilled people will play these games together with lower-skilled persons. The results are the "MathGAMES Compendium of Famous Traditional Games", which are books in 9 languages. After that the partners of the project will prove, how traditional games could be implemented in their learning program for a better understanding, especially for lower-skilled people. The result are the “MathGAMES Numeracy Learning Guidebooks” in 9 languages. At the third part of the project the project partners will prove by doing and testing during real courses and seminars that playing games between people with different skills assist the social integration and thus traditional games will be saved from a loss by transferring it to other people. The result is a "MathGAMES Teacher Training Course", which is held for the next 10 years in different countries. The e-presentation, the seminar and the teacher training course are published in English. Finally the MathGAMES Testing and Evaluation Report is published. It is a report about the project, the work, the activities during the lessons, the competitions in schools, the meetings and the evaluation. The MathGAMES Project Report is published in English. In total the project gives examples of good practice and hints for creating learning courses for using traditional games with normal and lower-skilled people fighting numeracy. At the end of this project “MathGAMES - Games And Mathematics in Education for Adults – Compendiums, Guidelines and Courses for Numeracy Learning Methods Based on Games" we have produced 9 compendiums and 9 guidebooks, both are available as printed books and e-books, a website, in which we will present all the material, guidelines for a teacher training course and a detailed report about e.g.: • A big part with a list of different traditional transnational games (photos, game instructions), which can provide social integration. Traditional games can be board games, card games, role plays, acts, folk games involving dramatics, e. g. but not computer games. • A general, more theoretical short part about the theme: “Social integration and participation of lower-skilled people by using traditional games”. It should show learners in adult education, how precious it can be to add games in teaching lessons and offer so tailored learning opportunities to individual learners. • Some example of best practice from the participating countries and organizations, how lower-skilled people are socially integrated by using traditional games (photos and description of the activity, place and country, effects on the people) • Some example of best practice from the participating countries and organizations, how lower-skilled people is getting information on access to lifelong learning services in the local adult education. • A description of the origin of games and their symbolic significance, e.g. games about “capture and release”, birth, ritual, etc. • Interviews of participating people in their homes, care residences, etc. so that a compendium of authentic testimonies is created. • “Games in performance” in front of small audiences of people, who are then given the opportunity to interpret the games and to perform them with the lower-skilled participants on their own, with the participants as audience. • Filming, photographing and documentation of parts of the project to upload on our website.
Context, background and objective of the project: Due to the fact that more than 13% of adults in the EU can not read, write and do arithmetic, i.e. are functional illiterates, the project idea was born to seek a new pedagogical approach for the part of arithmetic learning, namely learning of calculating through the motivational use of games. This "game-based methodology for learning maths" is the basis of the project. For this purpose, suitable games had to be found and it had to be shown which mathematical contents could be explained "playfully" by these games. The result was a synopsis, which shows the connection between the games on the one hand and the mathematical content on the other hand. Of course, learning through play can not only be used in adult education, because many of the content is included in elementary school mathematics, so the results of this project can also be used in other schools. However, the Math-GAMES project is primarily aimed at teachers and lecturers in all adult education institutions to provide them with methodological means of achieving the learning objectives of leading adults out of functional illiteracy. Number and profile of participating institutions: Initially, 10 institutions were represented in the application, but due to various circumstances, the partner from Turkey had to leave the project, so that 9 partners from 8 countries were involved in the project until the very end: Volkshochschule Schrobenhausen (coordinating institution) and the agency Kultur München (both from Germany), Krug Art and Youth Center Kardzhali (Bulgaria), Association Connexion Roumanie from Paris (France), 2nd Gymnasium of Messini, Kalamata (Greece), Istituto Comprensivo Cena, Rome (Italy), Asociatia Femeilor Jurnaliste din Romania, Bucharest (Romania), Center Public d'Educacio de Persones Adultes Beniassent, Valencia (Spain) and Kypriaki Mathimatiki Etaireia (Cyprus Mathematical Society) Nicosia (Cyprus). Almost all partners come from the public or state education sector (general education schools, adult education centers and universities), but some partners also work in the field of journalism or the culture of the respective country. This diversity of project partners has enriched the content of the project. Description of the main activities carried out: The project "MathGAMES - Games and Mathematics in Education for Adults - Compendiums, Guidelines and Courses for Game-Based Numeric Learning Methods" created a compendium and a guide in 9 languages to answer the following questions: 1. How can we reduce the number of under-qualified adults to promote social inclusion and participation in our society? 2. How can we increase incentives for adult education through games? 3. How can we provide individual learners with tailored learning opportunities through the use of games? 4. How can we provide information about access to adult education services? 5. Quasi as a side effect the question was also answered: How can we preserve traditional and famous games in different countries from loss and repression by computer games? Achieved results and effect: All set goals were achieved and they led to the following results: - Compendium printed in 9 languages (English, German, Spanish and Valencian, Italian, French, Bulgarian, Greek and Romanian) and as PDF download - Handbook printed in 9 languages and as PDF download - Teacher Training Course in English only as download of PPT files. This course is the template for further European training courses. - Test and evaluation report printed in English and as PDF download These results were created with much effort and they already showed considerable impact and attention among the participating teachers at the dissemination events. Furthermore, all results are also suitable for download from the website: www.math-games.eu and under creative common license. Long-term benefit: For the teaching: The long-term benefits are high because all materials and books are still available. Many teachers will be inspired by the methodical explanations in the field of Numeracy Learning with the help of games to use this in their own lessons. For the learners: The learners are taken out of their isolation, created by their illiteracy, and can contact and learn new things through the games used. Against forgetting: These games, which are an important cultural asset in each country, are kept from oblivion as more and more computer games displace other classic games.