Despite Europe’s attempts to end school drop-out, it is still a recurring problem, especially for countries like Spain, which has a 18,98% rate (the second worst rate in Europe). The measures implemented in recent years have acheved progress, but it is still far from the EU’s 2020 objective of a 10%. Effectively fighting early school leaving requires a radical change in the concepts of education and pedagogy; a change involving holistic approaches to teaching methods and dynamic methodologies that connect with students, and effective training processes that appeal to young people, to motivate them and generate a fun self-learning process that reinforces confidence in their academic possibilities. This also requires to focus efforts on elementary students: only by working on inclusion, especially during the first years of childhood education, with specific and innovative pedagogies focused on underperforming students can the school dropout rate be reduced. From this “LEARNING TO PLAY, PLAYING TO LEARN” Project, we propose the creation of a new pedagogical system based on a “gaming” methodology through the implementation of effective and innovative teaching methods in the classroom, based on videogames. Students will develop their educational skills together, without isolating anyone, and in a cross-cutting way, specifically addressing the low performance in math, science, and literature in the first years of high school (secondary education). The low performance in these subjects among the youngest students, can lead them to a big learning gap compared to their peers, which sows the seeds of a future school dropout, and creates in them a feeling of inferiority that can lead to anger and bullying towards their classmates. To achieve the planned objectives, an intersectorial partner, expert in secondary education, will work for 24 months to create pedagogical innovations to fight for inclusion and against early school leaving through: - The creation of a unique and innovative pedagogical VIDEOGAME. This will be a tool to implement the “gaming” and innovative methodological processes against school dropout, and develop a holistic learning, while still being compatible with the study plans of the centers involved. - The creation of a CURRICULAR DEVELOPMENT in high school to complete the official curriculum through the implementation of the videogame as a pedagogical tool in the classrooms, as well as learning methods where STEM subjects are replaced by a transversal training where teachers will incorporate the concepts of these STEM subjects throught the videogame and the scientific method. Thus, this initiative proposes a strategic alliance led by Patronato de la Juventud Obrera; this entity will provide its experience in the field of secondary education, and will be in charge of the creation of the EDUCATIONAL VIDEOGAME (first Intellecutal Output). The teachers of the High Grade Training Cycle of 3D Animations, Games, and Interactive Environments, renowned programmers and designers expert in “gaming” pedagogical processes will collaborate along with the students in this cycle in the creation of a game adapted to the needs and methodologies proposed by the partners. Several centers specialized on innovative methodologies based on gaming, such as the Harjurinteen koulu (Finland), will participate in this partnership. CarrickFergus College (UK) is an expert in ICTs and the use of multimedia tools in the classroom environment. ZS Gymnázium s VJM (Slovakia) is an expert in value learning processes and European citizenship. Liceo Classico Statale Giulio Petricari (Italy) is an expert in Art and Design; and Gesamtschule an der Erft (Germany) are experts in inclusion and the fight against the school dropout of minorities. All of them are joined in a heterogeneous partnership expert in each of the areas of the Project, with experience working in previous projects. This network will ensure the quality and impact of the results, but it will also allow the creation of a new networking system where on-line and on-site activities are combined to enhance the development of the participants’ skills, especially those of the students. In this sense, we should highlight the 4 Transnational Meetings (carried out by leaders and teachers) and the 3 learning activities, which will allow students to participate in the development of the videogame, but will also provide them with tools to improve their academic performance in STEM subjects and avoid their school dropout. Through the diffusion and support of renowned European federations, we will achieve the implementation of an innovative educational tool against school leaving.
The European Union set the reduction of the school drop-out rate to less than 10% as a priority objective in education, in accordance with the provisions of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020). Despite the complexity of this endeavor, just at the deadline of 2020, the figure of 9,9% was reached. This data does not reflect the current national reality of each of the countries that make up the European Union, since they show large variations in their school drop-out levels, but it does reflect a clear positive trend and a collective effort (done by families, educational centers, and public authorities) for fighting this serious educational and social problem that our youth has faced for many years. This is an issue capable of weighing down the social, personal, and labor future of youth, not only due to the lack of regulated qualification, but also due to their loss of confidence and the lack in the development of transversal competences and attitudes towards life that can arise in them. This immense achievement has been possible thanks to the implementation of projects, initiatives, and tools in innovative educational centers, among which we find the project “LEARNING TO PLAY, PLAYING TO LEARN: COLLABORATIVE LEARNING FOR THE EDUCATIONAL INCLUSION OF LOW PERFORMING STUDENTS”; an initiative developed between 2018 and 2021 to generate innovative changes in the learning processes of students from a holistic perspective that would allow generating a teaching method to attract young people, to motivate them, and generate a fun self-learning process to build confidence in their your academic prospects; all through the digitalization of teaching via a gaming methodology. An innovative methodology has been generated based on the use of effective and innovative digital games in the classroom, which allows students to develop their educational skills together -without isolating anyone- and in a transversal way, specifically addressing low performance in mathematics, science, and literature in the first years of secondary education. These subjects, according to recent studies, are one of the main causes of school dropout by widening the gap of knowledge between students at risk of school leaving and their peers, sowing the seeds for future school dropout, and creating in them feelings of inferiority that can lead to anger and bullying towards their classmates. As a result of the severe COVID-19 pandemic and the serious consequences it will leave in our society, the development of this gaming and digital methodology has become even more important, which is reflected in the results generated in this project. In order to achieve the planned objectives, a European network of 6 educational centers in Spain (Colegio Sagrada Familia - PJO), Finland (Harjurinteen koulu), Germany (Gesamtschule An der Erft), the UK (Carrickfergus College), Italy (Liceo Classico Statale Giulio Perticari), and Slovakia (ZS a Gymnázium s VJM) carried out intense work during 36 months, allowing to conduct 3 student mobility activities, 3 Transnational Meetings, 1 large Multiplier Event, multiple management, visibility, and dissemination activities, and many on-site and virtual activities for the creation of an innovative Intellectual Output, the “O1- VIDEOGAME: LEARNING TO PLAY, PLAYING TO LEARN”, coupled with -among other tangible and structural results- the manual “CURRICULAR ADAPTATIONS FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING THROUGH GAMING”, which facilitates the inclusion of said video game and the gaming methodology in the educational strategy of secondary school teachers. All these results and actions have endowed the project with great impact, not only in the educational centers of the partnership, but also in schools from various European countries, thanks to the networks of the partner entities and the relationships they have with other educational centers like “Institut Technique de l'Enseignement Catholique-Boisfleury” (France). This project, despite having developed at a terrible time due to COVID-19, which particularly impacted the educational field, didn’t suffer a negative impact on its quality and ability to promote the creation and work of an effective European network that can already be seen in the day-to-day of these centers. This network grows every year, developing new Erasmus Plus projects (it has already been granted 2 new continuation projects) and contributing to achieve the ET 2020 objectives for school leaving.