Game-Based Learning: Innovative e-learning pedagogies for VET educators

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the delivery of Education and Training all over the world: almost 1.6 billion learners from pre-primary to tertiary education, including VET, were...

The INNOVET project will respond to these needs of target groups by developing a high-performing digital education ecosystem that will let VET providers deliver innovative online learning experiences with the use of gamification. Objective: increase engagement and motivation in e-learning through Game-Based Learning The application of game elements and game design thinking to learning has been proved to boost VET learners motivation and engagement as well as to overcome fears and barriers related to change and to learn something new. INNOVET first stage focuses on best practices for digital education. This will provide an overview of existent applications and will give sufficient insights to decide upon the quality indicators for engagement and motivation through User Interface and User Experience. Further on, the experts will design the digital education ecosystem around the needs of the VET learners, in order to let the product be easy-to-use supported by visual guidance and instructions. Objective: increase the digital competences of VET teachers to adapt to digital transition The platform will provide online game-based learning programs templates to deliver learning experiences. Thus, VET trainers will be able to create their own gamified programs, reward progress and achievements as well as implement gamified assessments, by choosing the template they prefer and providing the digital education ecosystem with the information and learning material on own topic. The templates and the design of the interface will be easy-to-use and every section supported by video-tutorials, demonstrations and online training modules. These are designed and developed during the project to increase digital competencies and strengthen the digital professional development of VET teachers, which will support their adaptation to digital education on the path to digital transformation. Objective: develop organizational capabilities of VET organizations to incorporate green and digital technology into subject-specific training through access to innovative high-performing digital education ecosystem The high-performing digital education ecosystem will be available for the VET organizations from various domain, the templates for Game based learning being free, easy-to-use and adaptable. By choosing the template they prefer and providing the platform with the information and learning material, VET providers will extend organizational capabilities. The collections of use cases, as well as information and guidance about organizing online learning will be designed and developed during the project in order to provide VET organizations with a digital education ecosystem able to limit the hysteresis of the COVID-19 crisis and to incorporate green and digital technology into subject-specific training. To face the new challenges, the main need of partnership is transdisciplinary expertize. The collection of best practices, co-design activities in C1, innovation, supportive tools and tutorials, transferring through MEs, webinar for VET teachers and piloting with VET learners will improve individual skills and organizational capabilities to face that actual challenges. The matrix of complementary competencies and capabilities recommend the partnership as being the perfect shape to develop a high-performing digital education ecosystem

A1. PROJECT MANAGEMENT&IMPLEMENTATION T4E will manage and coordinate the project. Partner leaders will be part of the Project Management Board whose structure and functions have been shared by the partners in the project design phase. PMB, will be responsible of the overall coordination of the own project work, in order to ensure a smooth implementation of the project, an efficient control and management of the project budget and schedule, in compliance with this project proposal. A2. QUALITY ASSURANCE&EVALUATION AKIIT have capabilities to lead this activity and the Quality Assurance Committee. QAC will be established in the project prearation phase and will be composed by appointed experts of each partner organization. The Committee will support the PMB to monitor and control quality. A3. DISSEMINATION&EXPLOITATION KMEM was chosen for its experience in the design and development of communication and exploitation strategies, will create the Dissemination & Exploitation Plan, consulting each partner organisation appointed specialists. Each organization is responsible of the implementation of the dissemination and exploitation activities at national and EU level. A4. TARGET GROUP INVOLVEMENT CCVET have the expertize of running educational programs for VET learners and VET staff. They will coordinate the focus groups, piloting and reviewing consulting each partner organisation appointed experts. A5. GAME-BASED SOLUTIONS ANALYSIS FOR DIGITAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS (R1) KMEM Leader, experienced in applied research for Education and Training, will: design the methodology to conduct the research and survey, coordinate the partners' work and produce the final Report. Each partner will identify, collect, validate and report the best practices in game-based learning at national level; proceed to identify and engage participants in target for the Focus Groups, implement and report the Focus Groups; produce one National Research’s findings and considerations Report; contribute to the data analysis process. A6. GAME-BASED E-LEARNING PROGRAMS DEVELOPMENT (R2) AKIIT Leader, experienced in the development of digital solutions for education, will: develop the guidelines for the implementation of the activities and will coordinate the partners' work to produce the UI/UX for the Game-based e-Learning Programs Template. Each partner will contribute to Co-design Lab, review and finalize the Template design; provide evaluations of the program. A7. INNOVET DIGITAL EDUCATION ECOSYSTEM (R3) T4E leader with experience in Digital Transformation, development of educational platforms and innovative digital tools, will lead the planning, designing, developing, testing and maintenance of the platform. Partners will participate in the Requirement Evaluation, create the texts for the platform's contents in English and in their language, participate in webinar and internal testing of the platform. CCVET will recruit VET learners for the piloting; contribute to the elaboration of evaluation questionnaires for the platform's users and provide feedback. Each partner will contribute to the development of tutorials, demonstrations, online training modules and user manual, in compliance with the instructions of the T4E. M1-4. Four transnational project meetings and quarterly skype meeting will take place in order to discuss the project strategy, tasks, organisational details, and to monitor the project achievements, the relevance and consistency of the results produced with the initial project plan. E1-4. Multiplier events will be organized in each partner country to promote the results of the project and enhance transferability. C1. A 5-day training session will be organized in IT for VET educators and facilitators to exchange learning & knowledge & best practices in pedagogy for Game-based learning and gamification, and to gain increased digital competences for adapting to digital education on the path to digital transformation.

TANGIBLE RESULTS R1 Game-based solutions analysis for digital learning environments. Based on the primary and secondary research, the INNOVET team will a report. It will include the most successful game based solution (resulting from national and EU best practices), the required elements, dynamics and mechanics of gameplay in both offline and online learning environments (resulting from focus groups, as well as the analysis and conclusions that can be transferred into an innovative Game-based e-Learning Program. R2 Game-based Learning Programs is a toolkit of Game-based e-Learning Programs Templates, designed with and for VET teachers and trainers. It will include examples of applications for various VET learners that can be used in order to deliver learning through gamification, using Salmon's five-stage model for of online interaction. R3 INNOVET digital education ecosystem is an online learning platform designed with and for VET teachers and trainers to enhance digital transformation in VET organizations. It include information, tools and resources to support and enhance the delivery and management of Game-based Learning Programs and guidance materials: 2 e-modules, 2 video tutorials, 4 use cases and user manual. CAPACITY BUILDING OF PARTNERS and Associated partners R6 Developed organizational capabilities of 40 VET organizations to incorporate green and digital technologies by implementing the innovative system; increaseed the effectiveness and quality of their learning practices. R7 Extended portfolio and consolidation of partners’ capabilities with game-based solutions to keep students engaged and motivated in learning, to avoid hysteresis in education produced by COVID-19. INTANGIBLE RESULTS R9 Increased digital skills and competences of 80 VET teachers to make efficient use of learning platforms needed for digital transition; experience in creating digital teaching contents, improved game-based teaching strategies. R10 Improved quality and effectiveness of online learning practices of VET providers, able to increase VET learners' engagement and motivation in continuing learning. R11 Developed a sense of belonging to society. Promoting gender equality, inclusion and non-discrimination while selection the TG, will raise the awareness of social inclusion of more than 200 people reading the recruitment announces for pilot courses. R12 Community network. The project will create a self-sustainable eco-system where there is much learning and experience to gain for all participants, including 80 VET trainers and teachers. R13 Consolidation of transnational partnership by identifying the strengths of each partner, complementary capabilities and opportunities for further partnership collaboration. R14 Improved level of partners’ know-how. The project has already been a good opportunity to learn from each other during the initiation and planning phases. Going further, the project will assist partners in attaining knowhow beyond the current levels through sharing and collaboration during project implementation. R15 Increased professional network and visibility of partners. One of the project strengths is that it aims at placing together stakeholders VET and NGO digital solutions developers. The numbers and diversity of stakeholder categories, along with the wide dissemination using direct and online interaction will increase the visibility of partners, project and Erasmus+ programme. R16 European dimension and internationalisation. Project deliverables are online with application across borders, being closely linked to the European dimension and internationalization. INNOVET visibility: 4 newsletters related to project main activities distributed to 40 VET providers; 6 press releases with national audience; promote project scope in 8 external events, minimum 4 EU visibility, 5 knowledge transfer initiatives to stakeholders and associated partners.