The main goal of the project was to address the lack of “digital confidence” observed in a large number of teachers, by providing them with knowledge and enhancing their skills so that they could use videogames and mobile applications as learning tools.

To this end, within the context of the project, the consortium produced the following online intellectual outputs, all of which are freely available via the respective links:

1. An Online Database with 119 records of existing educational videogames and mobile applications, as well as commercial videogames and applications not designed for education but having a clear and strong educational potential. For each game or application the user will find a description and evaluation by expert researchers of the consortium, helpful comments and suggested scenarios for educational use.

Teachers can use the search engine to find the appropriate game or mobile application related to the learning object they want to teach.

The DAISSy research group recommended and evaluated 20 out of the repository’s contents, translating into Greek their educational perspectives. Moreover, DAISSy invited teachers from Greece to visit the online database and provide comments on the contents.

2. The Online Manual for teachers and future teachers with information on how to effectively use videogames and mobile applications with their students. This manual consists of 14 chapters and is available in English, Spanish, Greek, Italian, German and Lithuanian. It has also been published as an e-book entitled “Videogames for Teachers: From research to action” by McGraw Hill Publishing.

Each chapter contains a theoretical framework with the required background on the topic of the chapter, five exemplary practical cases, two real case scenarios and an interactive self-assessment test.

DAISSy research group carried out the research and authored Chapter 6: Educational Videogames: An Overview and Chapter 7: Videogames as Educational Tools.

3. The e-Learning Package that provides teachers and future teachers with basic knowledge of simple programming languages and authoring tools in order to enable them to develop, either on their own or together with their students, educational digital games and educational mobile applications. The e-learning package consists of 3 Modules and is available in English, Spanish, Greek, Italian, German and Lithuanian.

Each module provides the basic theoretical background, references to additional online resources and web material (videos, manuals, etc.), practical exercises and activities for applying the theory to practice, as well as an interactive self-assessment test.

DAISSy research group contributed to the research and authoring of the 3rd Module entitled Programming and authoring tools for developing educational apps, which provides an overview of the technologies and tools available for mobile application development, detailing the App Inventor programming environment and the Augmented Reality web platform Metaverse.

The outputs of the project were presented to educators and university students of Departments of Education during info days held in all participating countries. In Greece, the info day organized by DAISSy research group brought together more than 70 stakeholders, mostly teachers, university students and school students.

More information about the project and its results can be found on the project website.

– Do you want to get informed about

– Are you a teacher or future teacher? Don’t miss the opportunity to go through the V4T online manual in order to learn how to effectively implement videogames and apps with your students in classroom!

– Are you interested in learning how to create your own games or apps for, or with, your students? Stay tuned because soon we’ll launch the V4T e-learning training package on main programming languages and authoring tools that are used to develop videogames, web games and apps!

The project is funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ Programme, Key Action 2 – Strategic Partnerships in Higher Education.

Project partners:

• University of Valencia, Spain, Lead Partner
• PIXEL – Associazione Culturale, Italy
• University of Applied Sciences Joanneum, Austria
• Hellenic Open University, DAISSy Research Group, Greece
• Kaunas University of Technology, Lithouania
• Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, Italy
• Xano Channel Asociación para el desarrollo comunitario, Spain

For more information about V4T visit the website of the project

A workshop on using videogames in teaching will be organized on September 3, 2018, from 18.30 to 20.00, in the context of the National Scientix Conference on STEM Education that will take place at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) premises in Zografou. The workshop is organized by the DAISSy research group of Hellenic Open University and is addressed mainly to teachers in primary and secondary education and educators in general.

During the workshop, the online repository of the videogames and mobile apps, that are most suitable for education, will be presented. For each game/application included in the repository, detailed assessment of its features and services and possible ways to use it with students, are included. Educators attending the workshop will be able to connect to the online repository and comment on any of the reviews they want by submitting their own personal experience or opinion.

Participation in the V4T workshop is free, but requires online registration to the Scientix conference at https://scientix.ellak.gr/. More information about the workshop can be found at https://scientix.ellak.gr/events/v4t-videogames-for-teachers/. Note that it would be useful to bring a laptop or smart phone.

The V4T project is funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ Program, Key Action 2 – Strategic Partnerships in Higher Education. For more information about the project, you can visit https://v4t.pixel-online.org/index.php or send an inquiry to the address info@daissy.eap.gr.