Ludamus project was born in response to the need to exploit the opportunities offered by game-based learning methodology and strategies to disseminate and promote European cultural heritage through experimentation with resources and methods offered by non-formal education and social research. The importance of heritage knowledge to foster collective memory and self-esteem, to develop civic and critical conscience, and to better understand human and social constructions, is supported by studies and by educational laws throughout the EU. There are formulas to preserve and/or promote cultural heritage (protection, musealization, touristification, cataloguing...): we believe that these are necessary measures, but that many times they do not end up connecting the majority of citizens with their own culture, but rather people who observe these cultural contents without feeling involved, an active part. If we add to these reasons the rupture of the natural chain of intergenerational transmission, the devaluation of cultural heritage at a social and media level, standardization and cultural globalization..., the need to address the issue through more innovative approaches is justified. According to this, the objectives of Ludamus were: a) Train workers from education, tourism, and socio-cultural fields to design and develop game-based learning strategies for the dissemination of European cultural heritage, while also helping them explore, renew, and improve their professional skills in their work environment through experimentation with tools that promote new scenarios and expression spaces and renewed channels of participation, connection, and dialogue. b) Disseminate and promote cultural heritage within society, promoting its transmission as a rich and diverse element, suitable in the present reality as an educational tool, for healthy leisure and social and intergenerational connection, with an integrative approach. c)Design and develop playful and immersive experiences aimed at promoting cultural heritage, to develop and disseminate an exhaustive, tested and transferable methodology to any social and cultural context, both in analogue-face-to-face format and digitally. d) Exchange good practices with other similar entities in Europe. e) Create and disseminate results and methods to spread European cultural heritage from non-formal education. A 24-month action plan was designed as a unitary research-training-action strategy, in which: -A mapping and analysis of game-based experiences to promote cultural heritage throughout the European territory was performed. -A teaching-learning process was developed in which the 5 partner entities trained and tutored the rest in their respective specialities through the online training action "Let's play with cultural heritage" and follow-up tutorials. These specialities are: search techniques and selection of patrimonial contents to be energized; application of techniques, tools and recreational components; application of performative and scenographic techniques; graphic techniques to guarantee the accessibility and replication of the games. -An ambitious experimentation process was put into practice to design, develop and evaluate recreational strategies in each local community, together with each organization's network of local partners, and using a multitude of formats and media, including digital alternatives. A total of 9 playful experiences were designed and are available on the project channels to be used, replicated and/or adapted by whoever wishes. The results of the project were: -20 examples of good practices for game-based experiences, projects and products that use gaming to promote cultural heritage were researched, mapped and selected. -A methodological guide titled "Heritage at play" was written, detailing the steps to design and develop game-based strategies/experiences for the dissemination of cultural heritage, with an emphasis on its social value, with practical examples backed by the experience of the entities' members, the large network of local partners and the rigorous evaluation process applied. - A total of 9 game-based experiences (board games in "Print&Play" format, physical and online ludic experiences) were designed and are available on the project channels to be experienced, studied, replicated and/or adapted by whoever wishes. -A multilingual infographic was designed, with the title "In this game, we always win: why use games to promote cultural heritage", which substantiates the relevance of using game-based methodologies in the promotion of cultural heritage. We want the project's actions, products and results to be inspiring, practical and fully transferable, which is why they are multilingual and available online under a Creative Commons licence.
a) Train workers from education, tourism, and socio-cultural fields to design and develop game-based learning strategies for the dissemination of European cultural heritage, while also helping them explore, renew, and improve their professional skills in their work environment through experimentation with tools that promote new scenarios and expression spaces and renewed channels of participation, connection, and dialogue. b) Disseminate and promote cultural heritage within society, promoting its transmission as a rich and diverse element, suitable in the present reality as an educational tool, for healthy leisure and social and intergenerational connection, with an integrative approach. c)Design and develop playful and immersive experiences aimed at promoting cultural heritage, to develop and disseminate an exhaustive, tested and transferable methodology to any social and cultural context, both in analogue-face-to-face format and digitally. d) Exchange good practices with other similar entities in Europe. e) Create and disseminate results and methods to spread European cultural heritage from non-formal education.
This project was born in response to the need to exploit the opportunities offered by game-based learning methodology and strategies to disseminate and promote European cultural heritage through experimentation with resources and methods offered by non-formal education and social research. The importance of heritage knowledge to foster collective memory and self-esteem, to develop civic and critical conscience, and to better understand human and social constructions, is supported by studies and by educational laws throughout the EU. There are formulas to preserve and/or promote cultural heritage (protection, musealization, touristification, cataloguing...): we believe that these are necessary measures, but that many times they do not end up connecting the majority of citizens with their own culture, but rather people who observe these cultural contents without feeling involved, an active part. If we add to these reasons the rupture of the natural chain of intergenerational transmission, the devaluation of cultural heritage at a social and media level, standardization and cultural globalization..., the need to address the issue through more innovative approaches is justified.