COLLAGE: Twinning learners in arts and

humanities through game playing over a mobile learning platform

Evi Chrysafidou

Sofoklis Sotiriou,

Research and Development Department,

Ellinogermaniki Agogi

the COLLAGE project: Rationalethe COLLAGE project: Rationale

Classrooms and lectures take the learners out of the context of their everyday tasks and put them into specialized learning contexts

Learning may however be considered as Learning may however be considered as a dimension of those everyday tasks, a dimension of those everyday tasks, activities and situationsactivities and situations

the COLLAGE project: Rationalethe COLLAGE project: Rationale

Any experience may be considered as a Any experience may be considered as a

learning opportunitylearning opportunity but often the support but often the support

and resources to make it so are lacking.and resources to make it so are lacking.

The integration of learning into everyday activities may be The integration of learning into everyday activities may be promoted and reinforced by promoted and reinforced by mobile technology.mobile technology.

The use of The use of mobile devicesmobile devices with Internet access may facilitate with Internet access may facilitate in-situ learningin-situ learning and maximize the impact of information that is and maximize the impact of information that is provided when the motivation of the learner is highest.provided when the motivation of the learner is highest.

Research and Development

A successfully implemented project– MOTFAL

http://www.ea.gr/ep/motfal/

http://www.grupolace.org/motfal/en/

A generic platform for game scenarios to be implemented for next academic year– COLLAGE

http://www.ea.gr/ep/collage/overview.htm

History Education: a visit to Acropolis•students get information (drawings, historical events, etc) about the monument •the history teacher has uploaded information to the database earlier •students capture moments of their visit with the camera of the device •students upload photos for future reference.

Learning everywhere

Students visit the Benaki museum:•they take pictures and notes •they participate in several games, e.g. treasure hunting•they communicate with the class mates who did not attend the visit.

Learning in a playful way

Direct target group: Secondary school students (12- 16 years old) Secondary school teachers

Indirect target groups: Parents education policy makers technology developers general public

User groups

Project partners

1. Ellinogermaniki Agogi (Greece)2. Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur

(Austria)3. Bundesgymnasium and Bundesrealgymnasium

Schwechat (Austria)4. Vejle Business College (Denmark)5. MIKSIKE LearningFolders (Estonia)6. Forthnet (Greece)7. University of Barcelona (Spain)8. Växjö universitet – CeLeKT (Sweden)9. Nesta FutureLab (UK)

COLLAGE: The technology

COLLAGE: The technology

Students are able to capture moments of their visit with the camera of the device and upload them to the COLLAGE platform for future reference.

COLLAGE

A visit to an archeological site as a board game

COLLAGE:

Twinning learners in arts and humanities through game playing over a

mobile learning platform

Object of the game

The players move on the game board paths and answer cards

The Game Board

Answering successfully

wins you territories

The narration will get you to follow the paths

through the map territories

At end of paths you find game cards

Object of the game

The players move on the game board paths and answer cards

The game board, i.e. the map of Knossos is organised in ‘territories’.

The board

The Game Board

Object of the game

The players move on the game board paths and answer cards

The game board, i.e. the map of Knossos is organised in ‘territories’.

A territory includes points of interest

The players move on the game board

TerritoriesTerritories

Territories and spots of interest

Territories and spots of interest

Object of the game

The players move on the game board paths and answer cards

The game board, i.e. the map of Knossos is organised in ‘territories’.

A territory includes points of interest Following the paths and winning cards leads

to new territories

Conquered territories and spots of interest

Conquered territories and spots of interest

Territories, cards and questions

To conquer a territory the team has to complete the tasks, questions and problems related to points of interest

Cards are associated with points of interest

For example….

A game card

<observation, knowledge>

The Grand Staircase is remarkably well preserved with four flights of steps and evidence for a fifth at the top-How many columns used to exist in the grand staircase?-Which of the following picture is the Grand Staircase?

Territories, cards and questions

The narration will get the player to follow the paths through the map territories

The narration may be read, listened to, illustrated, drawn with cartoons

For example….

A game pathOn the other side of the central court was the four-storie EastWing. I was now

faced with the puzzle of how to reach this area. Again, my recollection

fails me as to how I managed this feat. I think what I did was to ascend the

"stepped porch," a set of steps which rose up between the Tripartite

Shrine and the Throne Room to the top level of the west wing, and made

my way around to the north end of the palace, and from there, east. On

the way, however I managed it, I climbed to the elevated portico on which

a copy of the giant relief fresco of a charging bull has been placed. The

power and ferocity of this animal was striking. Again, I was reminded of

the story of Theseus and the Minotaur.

<A visitor lost in the labyrinth> http://www.spinninglobe.net/knossos.htm

A game path

<A visitor lost in the labyrinth> http://www.spinninglobe.net/knossos.htm

Possible tasks and questions

1. (‘how to reach this area’). Where the narrator has been and where to is she heading?

Draw a line on your map. Introduce a photo for all the underlined words in blue (e.g. the

four-storied East Wing).

The logbook

2. Very briefly give the story of Theseus and the Minotaur in your logbook using text, photos video, drawing and cartoons.

You don’t have to give the whole story in detail just make a webpage as part of your logbook that would illustrate the story.

(COLLAGE: introduce the concept of logbook)

The logbook

Our story begins with Ariadne in love with Theseus, an early hero of Greece. The two of them, it seemed, couldn't be without each other. So, Minos invited the young hero to the Palace of Knossos as the king's guest. Minos then threw Theseus into the labyrinth, which housed the fearsome beast known as the Minotaur.

The Game Cards

The players receive the cards through their PDA’s

COLLAGE: The technology

Students are able to capture moments of their visit with the camera of the device and upload them to the COLLAGE platform for future reference.

The Game Cards

The players receive the cards through their PDA’s

The cards can include photos, short videos, text, and hyperlinks

In order to win a card the player has to

– Answer a question– Perform a task,

e,g. take a picture– Solve a problem

Instructional Objective: Content and Curriculum

Not only factual information about the palace and the Minoan civilization

Humanities: Make comparisons of modern life with Minoan lifestyle and society

Technology: Learn to Use variety of ICT resources in the classroom and on site

Art

Instructional Objective: Content and Curriculum

Arts

painting– e.g. love of the Minoans for

the all-powerful nature

decor– e.g ‘strong geometric

simplification of naturalistic shapes and monochromatic painting’

Architecture

Best Practices

Best Practice in Educational Computer games (I)

Create context present either a core problem to be solved or a journey

to be takenInvite participation• The game will show players the path they can take (from

newbie to star) and the ways in which they can impact the game world.

Design for activity, not content• The game will be designed around what the learners DO.

They must learn in order to win. Learn through activity• In order to learn through game activity, players will make

decisions and face the consequences of those decisions.

Best Practice in Educational Computer games (II)

Design for students• The game will encourage teamwork and interaction in

learning and play.

Provide tools for teachers to integrate the game into curriculum

• The game will provide teachers with in-game tools to monitor and control gameplay, as well as tools to review, assess, and present game activity in classroom discussions.

• Reporting tools will give complete information on game activity, so teachers can track and assess student performance.

The teacher

The teacher acts as a referee – not as evaluator- during the game

The teacher is the main producer of card games

The teacher reviews the cards produced by the students/players

The learners

One school plays the game at a time. A contest between schools can be organized.

•A school can play the game with max 4 teams•One school is be in classroom and one on site•A team consists of a number of players with assigned roles (captain, leader, pawn, negotiator, referee)

The Design Process -The teacher

The teacher has to prepare material and incorporate it into the game

– Maps, game cards (questions, tasks, problems)

The Design Process - The students

Two -or more- schools can participate in the production of the game.

The students of the two schools author game cards. The cards of one school are played in the game of the other school

THANK YOU

A generic platform for game scenarios to be implemented for next academic year– COLLAGE

http://www.ea.gr/ep/collage/overview.htm