Games for basic skills teaching

The GBT project emerged at a significant time of change and challenge in European educational systems. The importance of games in supporting learning has been recognized but needs to be more integrated into learning design, practice, and assessment. The pervasive growth of enhanced digital technologies has greatly enhanced the opportunities but also needs to be more closely aligned to teacher training and support. Finally, the worldwide impact of the Covid-19 pandemic places new stress on educational systems – as it also impacted the development of the GBT project itself.

The theory of the project based on innovation and collaboration made the structure agile & flexible and was considered suitable as it enabled continuous monitoring of progress and quick reactions to needed adaptations like Covid-19.

Beneficiaries include:

• Teachers and trainers, students with English as a second language and low-skilled workers
  
• Low skilled adults preparing for change of career
  
• Youth, i.e. age 15 to 21 who need to catch up with their basic skills before they can continue their formal education
  
• New citizens in Greece in an inclusive and lifelong learning perspective
  
• Teachers in Preparatory Adult Education and General Adult Education, Workers on training and for vulnerable young adults

The project aims to:

1. Create a guidebook for teaching with serious games. This output consists of two main sections: general recommendations on teaching with serious games and learning designs based on case stories from partners.
2. Develop “Changing the Game” – a practical course for teachers who want to use serious games in their teaching. The course will stand alone as an Open E-learning Resource (OER).
3. Experiment with games in basic skills teaching, using learning outcomes with games as a didactic approach.
4. Evaluate on learning outcomes with games.