GATE:VET – using GAmification in TEaching
at VET schools

The Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership project GATE:VET was born out of one of the major insights from the project STEAM - Serious game to Train Experts in Advanced Multimodality: Teachers are often aware of the positive effects of game-based learning but only few of them know in detail how the concrete implementation can take place.

The aim of GATE:VET is therefore to expand the methodological repertoire of teachers at vocational schools by giving them the opportunity to enrich their classes with educational games. The gamification of teaching content and the concepts behind it will help to improve the learning success of the students. By enhancing the learning experience, positive emotions are supposed to be stimulated and made beneficial for the learning process. Learning should be fun and the use of games in class easy.

In principle, the target group is teachers of all types of schools, but especially vocational schools. For this purpose, an online knowledge database with various training materials for creating playful teaching situations is provided. In a training module the teachers of the participating vocational schools learn how to use the training materials and then act as multipliers at their respective institutions. The materials and the training courses are also evaluated (formative and summative).

GATE:VET is being coordinated by the VET school AFBB. Other schools involved are VUC Storstrøm (DK, adult education centre) and the National College Nicu Gane (RO, General secondary school). With a strong will to expand their own skills in modern teaching methods in the context of digitisation, the schools provide most of the content and involve their teachers to start creating a community around the platform.

Manzavision, a subsidiary of the Manzalab Group that specialises in extended reality technologies (XR), including Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality and mobile application, will develop the platform. The company develops applications in communication, marketing or training purpose for many industries.

The University of Coventry has extensive experience in the implementation of projects on Game based Learning, especially in teacher training. They are therefore contributing to the content and to the evaluation of the platform.

The Dresden University of Applied Sciences will develop the curriculum that will support teachers in implementing game-based learning in the classroom. Based on many years of research into the real needs of users of digital solutions, this includes a "guidance" of cognitive processes in learning transfer.

AFBB, Manzalab, VUC Storstrøm and the Coventry University had previously worked together in the project STEAM.  

Raising the awareness of the teaching staff for gamification / game based learning / learning experience

Promotion of the competence development of teaching staff

Improving teaching

Networking of stakeholders and exchange of experience at European level

The results of the project are designed for sustainable use from the outset: By creating a platform, which is (co-)created by the vocational school teachers themselves and which is to be expanded with new ideas in the further course of the project, a process of further use is set in motion which increases the chances of later use.

Duration: 2 years (01.09.2019-31.08.2021)

Events:
Multiplier Event in September 2020 (VUCSTOR)

Train-the-Trainer Workshop (3 days) January 2021 (FHD)

Multiplier Event in June 2021 (AFBB)

IO1: Implementation of a platform that supports the process of gamifying content

IO2: Collection of best practice examples, tutorials, didactic design patterns, etc. and preparation of a guide for the use of the collection and the platform

IO3: Curriculum for multipliers (teachers): training-of-trainers workshop (simultaneous test run of the platform and contents)

The core result of the project
is a platform with content that facilitates the use of game-based elements in the classroom, or even makes it possible at all (IO1). It will therefore consist of an initial content collection of best practice cases provided on the platform (IO2). In order to be able to use this in a simple way and to expand it continuously, the platform will be designed in such a way that it is very easy to use and requires very little training. From the project consortium's point of view, the ease of use represents a central hurdle for teachers, as they have relatively little time at their disposal. The creation of a community around the platform is intended to ensure that the platform can continue to be used independently by teachers after the end of the project and that teachers already involved can easily integrate new interested parties.

The third important output of the project is a curriculum which should familiarise teachers with the use of the platform and the application of game-based teaching elements (IO3). For the partners involved, especially the participating vocational schools, the project thus offers the possibility to train their own teachers in a modern way and at the same time to act as a multiplier in teaching at vocational schools in the region, but also throughout Europe.

This will enable them to establish themselves in a field with a promising future. For the project members, the project offers the possibility to contribute and test experiences from previous gamification projects (STEAM and others) or projects to improve the user experience and to gain new insights that can improve future developments.

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