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
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
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
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’.
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
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
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.
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 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
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