massimiliano andreoletti videogames simulation univ. católica de milão

Initiative GREAT European Development Partners Co-organization

Videogames Simulation Promoting mediation using video games: an educators’ training program in Sicily Massimiliano ANDREOLETTI Anna RAGOSTA

(S)IMaging your CITY

media, social mediation,

citizenship

promoting mediation using video games

Prof. Massimiliano Andreoletti, Ph. D.

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Milano - Italia

an educators’ training program in Sicily

Promoting mediation using video games

GREAT Lx Conference

Lisbon - 16th september 2013

Syllabus

CONTEXTUALIZATION

METHODOLOGY

POTENTIALITY

DESIGNING

QUESTIONS

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A quick look over

“Mediation” project

an educator’s training

project in Sicily

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Mediation Project - General level

Sicily and the province of Trapani

SITUATION

border area and point of arrival of the migratory flows

BACKGROUND

this area has always been a place where people of different

culture and race can meet, dialog and discuss among

themselves

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STRUTTURA

• APQ (Program Framework Agreement)

• Young People. Protagonists of themselves & of the territory

OBJECTIVES

• create a bridge between the young people of the territory

and migrants

• structure moments of encounter in which, through the

narrative method, start paths of knowledge

promote the culture of acceptance and multiculturalism

among young people of Trapani

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ACTIVITIES

• structure moments of encounter in which start paths of

knowledge through the narrative methods

• using ICT to create, gather and share the stories

TARGET

• young people between 14 and 30 years

• inhabitants in poor neighborhoods characterized by socio-

economic disadvantage and/or residing in geographically

disadvantaged areas

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TARGET

limited number (max 20) of educators involved in social work

OBJECTIVES (related to the general project)

• to experience a training active model

• approach them to digital storytelling methods

• improve their use of the media and technology

OBJECTIVES (related to video games training part)

• give the first basic elements to use video game in

educational activities

• to experience a training program with video games

• suppose a training program based on video games

Mediation Project - VG educators training

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TIMING

23 hours practical and playful activity in December 2011

METHODOLOGY

• Pfeiffer & Jones’ “Experiential learning” cycle

RESOURCES (human & technology)

• a media educator skilled in use of video games in education

• a city builder simulation video games (EA SimCity 4)

• digital cameras and digital video cameras

STRUCTURE

• Andreoletti & Ragosta’s “S’IMpara con i videogiochi” project

Mediation Project - VG educators training

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Why using an

experiential learning

cycle?

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VG educators training - Methodology

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CYCLE’S STRUCTURE

analysis generalization

experience

communication application

problem

(Pfeiffer and Jones, 2000)

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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CYCLE’S CHARACTERISTICS

• reflect on own experience and behaviors

• deal with situations of uncertainty by developing adaptive

behaviors and improving

• develop their skills of problem solving

• acquire self-confidence through self- and hetero-

observation

VG educators training - Methodology

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Why using a simulation

video game?

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THE POTENTIALITY OF SIMULATION GAMES

The simulations are «the central engine of our mind, since

they enable us to have a general and local, dynamic and

flexible representation of the various aspects of external and

internal reality». (Anolli and Mantovani, 2011)

VG educators training - Why a simulation VG?

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Cognitive processes of the world (external reality):

1. the simulation allows to know the world

2. it is meant as an environment in which one can (re)build

the world with different degrees of resolution

3. it plays a fundamental role in the context of creativity (Anolli and Mantovani, 2011)

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The ability to reflect on one’s own work and imagine one’s

own future (internal reality).

«the knowledge of the past and the future, either near or far,

is always mixed with the knowledge of the present”» (Anolli and Mantovani, 2011)

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The ability to reflect on one’s own work and imagine one’s

own future (internal reality).

The possibility of visualizing through a game a future different

from the one envisaged in these contexts allows the involved

people to represent various forms of their selves. (Oyserman and James, 2009)

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These forms are “possible selves”.

The use of the simulation video games may strongly support

the entire educational action, since «the expectation and the

planning of the future of themselves tend to improve the

wellbeing of present life». (Klein and Zajac, 2009)

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The role of simulation video games achieves important effects

also on present daily action, especially when they «provide

detailed images connected with strategies that bind the

present situation with future states». (Anolli and Mantovani, 2011)

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How design a training

project with a

simulation video game?

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S’IMPARA CON I VIDEOGIOCHI’S STRUCTURE

• the original project was restructured and organized on the

basis of the needs of the reality on which it was worked and

divided into two main phases:

1. analyzing and rebuilding your own city: (video)playing

with reality

2. rethinking your own city: (video)playing with fantasy

VG educators training - Project

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S’IMPARA CON I VIDEOGIOCHI’S STRUCTURE

1. analyzing and rebuilding your own city:

the objective is to give participants a global and structured

vision of their surrounding environment and to start a

reflection on their live in the present.

VG educators training - Project

2. rethinking your own city:

the game is a space in which participants are be able to

express dreams, desires, and aspirations: it’s the personal

rethinking of the real city by inserting what they would like

to be there and removing what they would not want to.

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S’IMPARA CON I VIDEOGIOCHI’S PRODUCTS

during the activities all the participants were invited to:

VG educators training - Structure

• create many products using different kind of media

(experience phase):

• simulated cities with video game (SimCity)

• videos or photos telling their surroundings

• videos showing/promoting their simulated cities

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S’IMPARA CON I VIDEOGIOCHI’S PRODUCTS

during the activities all the participants were invited to:

VG educators training - Structure

• share in groups (communication and analysis phase):

• show their simulated cities trough maps printed from

the game telling cities’ evolution

• how they have felt during playing activities

• what ideas have guided the creation of their simulated

cities

• agreement between simulated cities and their ideals and

wishes

• difficulties/problems (technical, ethical, economical, etc.)

interfering with the realization of the cities

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What problems may

arise from the use of

simulation video games

with trainers?

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PROJECT’S QUESTIONS (TRAINERS’ POINT OF VIEW)

what problems can arise to use video games :

VG educators training - Issues

• design/manage a training program with video games

• difficulty in justifying a training project with video games

• limited availability of time to fully carry out the playing

activities (whole playing activity and single game)

• need for the supervision of an expert (trainers have

realized that is not enough just to play)

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what problems can arise to use video games :

• design/manage a training program with video games

• lack of knowledge of the video games’ industry and

market

• difficult to find, evaluate, select the most suitable video

• lack of knowledge of training techniques based on playing

activities

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what problems can arise to use video games in training:

• govern the outcome of a simulation games-based activity

• fear of not being able to manage the outcomes of playing

activities

• uncertainty on the outcomes that the playing activity

brings

• inability to interpret the results (on an emotional,

relational, cognitive level) of the video games activity

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Massimiliano Andreoletti, Ph. D.

Dipartimento di Pedagogia

MED. Associazione italiana per l'educazione ai media

mail massimiliano.andreoletti@unicatt.it

linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/massimilianoandreoletti

Anna Ragosta,

MED. Associazione italiana per l'educazione ai media

mail anna.ragosta@unicatt.it

linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/annaragosta

Contacts

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