CONTEXT High and advanced skills in scientific and digital sectors are becoming a crucial part of literacy in the knowledge economy and background. Science education cannot be viewed as elite training for future scientists or engineers; only science-aware citizens can make informed decisions and engage in dialogue on science-driven societal issues. Scientific and ecological issues interest among students is very high, but often the quality of teaching and learning in the field is not at the same level, particularly ICT sector is one of the only sectors still demonstrating growth and knowledge and competency in environmental sciences and mathematics has become a crucial key skill. RATIONALE Strategic Partnership aim is to "enhance the quality and relevance of the learning offer in education, training and youth work by developing new and innovative approaches”. The consortium constitutes a strategic partnership of pedagogical and technological experts aimed to develop, evaluate and disseminate an innovative strategy for consolidating knowledge with the support of gamification tools. We shall suggest new methods and tools for a practice approach that enables teachers and learners to collaborate in creating live interactive resources (videogame) By the application of typical elements of game playing (rules, point scoring, competition) to other areas of activity (scientific disciplines) we intend to engage students in consolidating and deepening acquired concepts and competences; by the suggestion of specific learning gains, the game become a form of active learning OBJECTIVES and activities DIGITgame promotes a gamification activity as integration of STEM concepts acquired by aimed lessons and an active engagement of students as "gamifiers"; it represents a strategy to build a shared and exciting collaboration between teachers and learners to overpass knowledge underachievement 1) Analyze the attitudes and skills around science and ecology of educators and students to influence them to be smart citizens of the future 2) Design and develop a wide set of lessons on basic science subjects: climate dynamics, changes and evolutions; plants physiology and ecological role 3) Engage students (driven by their teachers) in designing and realizing videogames well-structured on the acquired skills aimed to involve and "challenge" other students different in age and competences 4) Create contents and work steps available through the project collaborative platform to facilitate its use with different typologies of end users and stakeholders 5) Assess the quality and impact of the project after its implementation, both in terms of attitudes and skills about science and the quality of the methodology, platform and material developed The main target groups of the project’s activities and results are Educators, Teachers and Learners communities, in formal (schools) and informal (education foundations, research scientific institutions) learning scenarios. Within the DIGITgame community, learners and educators can adopt several roles: consumers of teaching resources and producers of new learning materials. Scientists and other stakeholders (entrepreneurship, public bodies, etc.) are also invited to contribute to the creation of learning materials. STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP The project consortium is integrated by 5 partners from 3 countries (TR, UK, IT) • IBIMET-CNR, IT, the applicant, R&D entity, engaged in a lot of projects on activities of scientific and educational programs directed to/for adults and students, able to provide knowledge and expertise on climate, meteorology and their connection to the environment • TAGES, TR, a SME leader in preparing and coordinating R&D and innovation projects with a strong ICT curriculum in managing activities related with students and Smart Cities concepts • CLICKS&LINKS, UK, a company specialized in didactic visualisation and gamification including the creation of virtual worlds and VR applications • K12, TR, an innovative foundation expert in developing and using learning tools, resources and on-line collaborative platforms for students and teachers, able to learn, teach and co-create contents for STEM courses • SENSALE, IT, an high school science-based represents the perfect context to develop-with, apply and test the methodologies and strategies core of gamification in Smart City concept deepening The collaboration of enterprises, research institution, innovative foundation and schools allows a multidisciplinary approach that encourages making the project outcomes suitable and useful to a wider range of users. DIGITgame project will have positive and long-lasting effects on participants, organizations, and people involved in the actions and target groups. Project educational modernization items and improvement of tools will develop key competencies and lead to more creative, innovative and competent students.
High and advanced skills in scientific and digital sectors are becoming a crucial part of literacy in the knowledge economy and background. Science education cannot be viewed as elite training for future scientists or engineers; only science-aware citizens can make informed decisions and engage in dialogue on science-driven societal issues. Scientific and ecological issues interest among students is very high, but often the quality of teaching and learning in the field is not at the same level, particularly ICT sector is one of the only sectors still demonstrating growth and knowledge and competency in environmental sciences and mathematics has become a crucial key skill. DIGITgame Strategic Partnership addresses all its efforts to "enhance the quality and relevance of the learning offer in education, training and youth work by developing new and innovative approaches”. Project consortium constituted a strategic partnership of pedagogical and technological experts which obtained the goals of developing and disseminating an innovative strategy for consolidating knowledge with the support of gamification tool. The new method suggested a tool for a new and practice approach that enables teachers and learners to collaborate in creating live interactive resources as a videogame. By the application of typical elements of game playing (rules, point scoring, competition) to other areas of activity (scientific disciplines) DIGITgame engaged students in consolidating and deepening acquire concepts and competences and, by the suggestion of specific learning gains, the game has been used as a good form of active learning OBJECTIVES and activities DIGITgame promoted the gamification activity as integration of STEM concepts acquired by aimed lessons and an active engagement of students as "gamifiers"; it represented a strategy to build a shared and exciting collaboration between teachers and learners to overpass knowledge underachievement 1) Analyze the attitudes and skills around science and ecology of educators and students to influence them to be smart citizens of the future 2) Design and develop a wide set of lessons on basic science subjects: climate dynamics, changes and evolutions; plants physiology and ecological role 3) Engage students (driven by their teachers) in designing and realizing videogames well-structured on the acquired skills aimed to involve and "challenge" other students different in age and competences 4) Create contents and work steps available through the project collaborative platform to facilitate its use with different typologies of end users and stakeholders 5) Assess the quality and impact of the project after its implementation, both in terms of attitudes and skills about science and the quality of the methodology, platform and material developed Educators, Teachers and Learners communities, in formal (schools) and informal (education foundations, research scientific institutions) learning scenarios have been the main target groups of the project’s activities and results. Within the DIGITgame community, learners and educators adopted several roles: consumers of teaching resources and producers of new learning materials. Scientists and other stakeholders (entrepreneurship, public bodies, etc.) have been invited to contribute to the creation of learning materials and involved in dissemination activities through Conferences and seminars at national and international level. The project consortium was constituted by 5 partners from 3 countries (TR, UK, IT) with a close collaboration of enterprises (PIXELMILL LTD, UK), research institution (IBE-CNR, IT), innovative foundation (TAGES, TR) and schools (K12, TR – SENSALE, IT) that allowed a multidisciplinary approach that encouraged making the project outcomes suitable and useful to a wider range of users. DIGITgame project obtained positive and long-lasting effects on participants, organizations, and people involved in the actions and target groups. Project educational modernization items and improvement of tools developed key competencies and lead students and teachers more creative, innovative and competent.