Fostering Teachers' Creativity through Game‐Based Learning

Traditionally, teachers and trainers have used in their practice the instructional paradigm, thus limiting their creative potential. Recent studies show that in natural situations learners combine simultaneously five ways (metaphors) of learning: Imitation, Participation, Acquisition, Exercising, and Discovery. In addition to these, game-based learning (GBL) supports creativity and inquiry-based learning processes.

ProActive aims to foster creativity and support flexibility of educators working in Lifelong Learning (LLL) sub-programmes through Game-Based Learning (GBL). Through a constructivist approach, the project is creating learning contexts in which teachers of Comenius, Erasmus and Leonardo programmes can apply creativity in designing their own GBL scenarios by using digital tools.

Within training workshops, teachers use two game editors in designing their learning activities: EUTOPIA, a free of charge 3D virtual environment allowing collaborative interaction of the learners; and e-adventure , an Open Source framework for implementing 2D user-centred adaptable scenarios. The project will be applied in 18 pilot sites covering different areas and levels in four countries (Spain, Italy, UK and Romania).

The main objectives of ProActive are:

• To stimulate the creativity of teachers and trainers working in LLP sub-programmes, developing a conceptual framework for integrating different learning metaphors
• To introduce innovative ICT-based experiences in teaching and training practice, adapting and enhancing the game editors, integrating the five learning metaphors
• e-adventureTo implement co-design creativity sessions and pilot sites for addressing school, university and vocational education scenarios
• To validate the proposed approach as a means of learning and evaluate its impact on teacher creativity and student outcomes.

ProActive will produce Guidelines on Creativity Enhanced by GBL, disseminate a database of learning games, and promote an active learning culture within EU education.

ProActive organizes the Games&Creativity in Education and Training conference (GACET’11) which will be held in Rome November 17-18, 2011.

It is a refereed scientific conference acting as a forum for scientists, engineers, and practitioners to present their latest research, results, ideas and developments on games and learning. The focus will be on the use of educational games in creative teaching methodologies. For more information on the conference, visit:http://www.proactive-project.eu/conference