The project has set out to achieve three objectives: O1 - to effectively and efficiently build competences among youth workers, teachers, parents and to some extent also educational institutions in use of digital technologies for game-based learning and gamification. O2 - to effectively raise awareness about game-based learning and gamification while countering prejudices and reservations youth workers, teachers, parents educational institutions have regarding these methods being implemented in schools and other education settings. O3 - to build operational and professional capacities of the staff of the two partner organizations and facilitate exchange of know-how between them to ensure their ability to further cooperate on EU-scale projects.
The project was developed in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic, which made the deficiencies of digital and online education in schools and youth work very visible. In this context, but also in context of the larger digital transformation taking place in education, the project partners are continuously working on digital products for educators in the form of their game-based learning (Gamifactory) and gamification (Motimore) platforms. The following needs were identified in relation to more widespread use of these platforms: Need 1: lack of hands-on experience with game-based learning among youth workers and teachers. Need 2: lack of awareness about educational games and presence of negative attitudes towards games and their use in school settings. Need 3: youth workers and teachers have a very limited view of how they can use games for learning purposes. In short, we applied for this project to: - Improve the quality of Gamifactory and Motimore (also by mutual learning between two partner organizations), - Raise awareness about positive impact game-based learning and gamification can have on students and young people, - Grow the user base of both platforms among teachers and youth workers.