Games for inclusion: piecing together the European jigsaw

Roger Blamire Patrizia Lotti

Silvia Panzavolta Terry Waller

Overview

• The jigsaw pieces: – Inclusion in Europe – Games in schools in Europe

• Joining the pieces: networking and connecting – European Schoolnet – SENnet:

• Research and innovation – Themes: mainstreaming, Universal Design for Learning, games

• Improving access to digital content • Teacher education and support

Evidence from research

• Benefits include – Contextualized problem-solving spaces – Engaging, individualized learning – Bridging in- and out-of-school learning – High emotional impact – Communities of practice – Embedded assessment

• Move from description of benefits to how learners can benefit

Examples of games: Italy a special case of an accessible videogame: Nicolas Eymerich, http://www.eymerich.it/

The producer

Examples of games: Italy Video on Youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aygf7Fzrq64

Examples of games: Italy • Description: the Inquisitor audio game is an adaptation of the Nicolas

Eymerich adventure game and is playable in English, Latin and Italian, by tapping an iPad with one or two fingers by blind people; it is compliant with Italian guidelines for dyslexic people

• Target group: as of 12 years and + • Languages: Italian, English, Latin • UD approach: version for blind is the same 3D scenario with additional

audio instructions (as the blind testing the game preferred a game with the same level of complexity instead of a simplified version); the version in Latin was made by a blind Latinist

• Feedback: positive feedback on the fact that mainstream content was adopted (instead of producing specific “politically correct” content)

• Cost: the app costs 13 Euro, and there have been almost 1000 downloads so far with no promotion (70% in the US). Even so it is difficult to market such a product globally – the producer writes on blogs and uses social media channels.

• Producer: TiconBlu Srl, http://www.ticonblu.it/

Examples of games: Italy • Useful links:

– To find easy and quick info about the game functions: http://www.eymerich.it/index.php?center=audiogame&lang=eng

– Forum topic on Audiogames.net talking about the Inquisitor Audiogame: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?id=10073

– Impressions that blind users had: link to the iOS version on iTunes: www.appstore.com/theInquisitorAudiogameAdventure

– International trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as1J7bXxDAk

Workflow to create a videogame • as teaching tools

to reach an educational objective, the teacher creates their own game according particular goals, the teacher adapts a video game to a new class or a particular student

• as learning tools to reach an educational objective, the teacher creates a video game with the students of the class learning takes place through the steps of operation for the making of the videogame; whole class participates and tasks are distributed according to different students' skills

Effective use of videogames 1. Teacher puts the contents of an educational goal in

narrative form 2. Teacher or the class does the screenplay (events

related to interactions) 3. Teacher or the class puts together all the necessary

resources (photographs, drawings, films, music …) 4. Teacher or the class realizes the game using an

authoring tool

Authoring tool Adventure Maker www.adventuremaker.com/

Live Code http://livecode.com/

Unity 3D http://unity3d.com/unity

Examples

Pilot courses made in the project learning game (http://learningame.org/pilot_courses/)

Manual for the application of Videogames and Multimedia for educational and training purposes http://www.learningame.org/info/manual.php

Examples from other countries

Belgium • WaiNot

– Safe and fun environment for those with learning difficulties

• Monkey Tales – Adaptive maths

games

Netherlands

• Heelseeker (Planet Commander) – Managing effects of

ADHD – Video clip

• Kung Fu Kitchen and Theraplay – Kinect – Cognitive and physical

challenges

Austria

• Lifetool: games for children with disabilities – Play with me – Wheel Sim – Puzzle World – Switch Trainer

Towards wider adoption of games in schools

Despite compelling [educational, economic and technological] reasons for large-scale adoption of games in learning, formal learning is still a few years away from embracing games as mainstream practice. Significant barriers prevent their integration within curricula, including: relevance; accuracy and appropriateness of content; difficulty of adaptation; negative stakeholder perception of learning achieved; lack of time; other resources available to teachers; suitability for adults; child safety; costs of technology and gender issues.

Discussion points

• Which pieces of the jigsaw are missing? • What needs to be done?

Contacts • SENnet website • Roger Blamire: roger.blamire@eun.org • Patrizia Lotti: p.lotti@indire.it • Silvia Panzavolta : s.panzavolta@indire.it • Terry Waller: tpawaller@gmail.com This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication

reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.