Through the exchange of good practices the partnership of the project “LearningGames” will look for answers to the needs of trainers, educators and facilitators in the area of adult education, lifelong learning and vocational training with regard to using learning games. By submitting learning games to a process of monitoring, evaluating and assessing we will search for the relevant aspects of games and playing, that have a significant role in facilitating the communication and integration on a social level, in creating bridges to other fields of interest, in crossing language and cultural barriers, in overcoming stereotypes and in providing the learner with a new insight and confidence in his cognitive potential.“LearningGames” will negotiate the idea of integrating games in formal and non-formal training structures proposing and discussing standards, outputs and evaluations supported by research and analyses that can be validated on a European level. Partnership Profile:The consortium of 6 partners from 6 countries represents a best practice partnership of (small) companies, institutions, NGOs, and Universities. Our team of experts will ensure a smooth implementation of the project. Through their network the participating institutions will realise a wide dissemination strategy on the local, national, regional and international level.“LearningGames” is rooted in the experience of the project promotor W-Point with non-formal learning frameworks in adult education and his interest in researching about the cognitive and educational value of games and their practical application.Methodology & Implementation Activities:Five MasterGames have been devised during the preparation of the project by the partners following clear guidelines. These MasterGames will be introduced, considered and discussed in the first of four transnational partner meetings. Playing activities (playing events) of the MasterGames monitored individually by every partner will take place between the meetings. The information gained through the monitoring and evaluations will be presented in the next partner meeting in the form of an overall assessment considering the factors predefined in the methodology of the project. In the next step, (equivalent to the 2nd meeting), the master MasterGame games will be exchanged in the partnership and consequently be played in the new environment, monitored by the respective partner. A similar procedure will take place in the 3rd meeting when we will also undertake a new assessment of the game considering the exchange and rotation factors. In the final (4th) meeting we will concentrate on the particularities of the evaluations, the validity of the observations and assess learning games matching results and insights with our predefined goals and objectives. The findings and results will be documented on the project’s website.Observations done during the monitoring will be related to subjects that play a key role in the current discourse on learning games, e.g. flow of information, time frame and time line, (self-)evaluation, strategy and metacognitive factors. These concepts have been considered in the preparation but definition and usability of them will be revised and determined in the course of the project by the partnership as a result of the experienced praxis.The information flow between the partners will take place peer to peer and in the group. Forums, mailing and online conferences will complement the partner meetings and support the exchange.Results and Impact:The result will be a set of best practice guidelines for teachers, trainers and facilitators considering the monitoring and evaluation standards developed and applied during the project.The project’s intention and vision is to give a further input to concepts and practices in adult education by emphasising the importance and status of ludic elements in learning.
The exchange of good practices project ‘LearningGames’ answered a need for a professional approach in the application of games for learning in adult education, lifelong learning, and vocational training. ‘LearningGames’ researched relevant aspects of games and play from facilitating the communication and integration of game on a social level (learning from each other, competitiveness), to creating bridges to other fields of interest (sports and playing), and in the evaluation and cultural barriers to game play (definitions of games). It provided the participating teachers, trainers, facilitators with new insights in the cognitive potential of games and confidence in overcoming stereotypes for their use in adult education. ‘LearningGames’ negotiated the idea of integrating games in formal and non-formal training structures. The discussion process resulted in a collection of texts and evaluation-based data, observations and reflections of the experiences gained during the project. Partnership Profile: The consortium consisted of 6 partners from 6 countries and included (small) companies, institutions, NGOs, and Universities. ‘LearningGames’ is rooted in the experience of the project promotor W-Point with non-formal learning frameworks in adult education and interest in researching the cognitive and educational value of games and their practical application. The other partners were: VUC Holstebro-Struer from Denmark, the regional branch of a nationwide adult education institution; ECG, an economic-cultural cultural cooperative from Portugal; Manchester Metropolitan University, Faculty of Education, UK; Latvian Academy of Sports Education, Latvia; University of Sofia, Bulgaria. The team of experts ensured a smooth implementation of the project. Through their network, the participating institutions realised a comprehensive dissemination strategy at local, national, regional and international level. Methodology & Implementation Activities: We applied a methodology based on 1) the playing and the periodical interchange of the Master Games devised by each partner 2) the application of surveys 3) gathering of data, and 4) an extensive, systematic discussion process of the experiences gained. The transnational partner meetings provided the structure and the timeline for the implementation of the project activities and the development of a thematic content. The results highlight the importance and status of ludic, social and evaluation elements in learning games that can be considered as good practice guidelines for teachers, trainers, and facilitators in adult education. The findings and results are documented in the online publication 'On Learning Games' on the project’s website www.learninggames.eu The project initiated a changed perception of the use of learning games in adult education at various levels: • For the participating experts and staff at the institutions they represented as they introduced new perspectives on the pedagogical impact of games, • For educational stakeholders such as academics, administrators and decision makers through conferences and virtual dissemination activities, • For students/players who had the opportunity to test a motivational approach to learning. The project created conditions for further research and promoted a diverse pedagogic discussion in adult education.