Context and aims:
There are many traditional youth games (paper-based, drama-based etc.) and the respective paper-based training materials how to use them in the youth work. Last 10 years some e-games related to the youth work have also been developed.
Rapidly, last few years, smart phones and tablets invaded the market and especially the world of the youngsters. The youngsters are more and more addicted to their smart phones or tablets. Every day they spend considerable time with their mobile devices playing games or using different social networks. But also, smart phones and tablets are radically transforming how we access our shared knowledge sources by keeping us constantly connected to near-infinite volumes of raw data and information. We enjoy unprecedented instant access to expertise, from informal cooking lessons on YouTube to online university courses. Every day people around the globe are absorbed in exciting new forms of learning. Obviously, the easiest way to reach the young people is to provide them the information and key competences they need using a user-friendly tool, which is very close to their daily habits and lifestyle. But there is still a gap in the existing training tools for mobile phones, tools which are suitable for the youth work (youth exchanges, youth training course, youth seminars etc.). Even though the youth workers and trainers realize the potential of the mobile games, they are facing lack of experience and training materials how to develop and implement such games in the youth work.
That is why mGames in YW project will develop methodology and tools for mobile devices (smart phones and tablets) suitable for the youth work, mobile games for entrepreneurship, intercultural learning and green skills. The project will also train youth workers and trainers how to use mobile games in their training or consulting activities. The project will also train youngsters and youth organizations how to develop mobile games for non-formal educational purposes.
Target group:
The project is targeting the following groups, willing to introduce the mobile games training approaches in the youth work:
- youth workers in youth centers and youth organizations;
- youth trainers involved in out-of-school youth activities;
- youth centers managers or leaders of youth organizations.
Potential users:
Active young people interested in entrepreneurship, intercultural learning and eco/green skills who will be the final users of the mobile games, developed in the frame of the project.
Main project results:
1. Mobile games for youth entrepreneurship, intercultural learning and green skills suitable for iOS and Android mobile devices, available at App Store and Google Play Store as well as on mGames web platform for free download.
2. A survey on the existing e-games, e-tools and training methods suitable for the youth work, especially in the field of entrepreneurship, intercultural learning and green skills in Bulgaria, Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Poland and also on European level.
3. Developed methodology how youth organizations and youth workers could design and implement mobile applications and games in the youth work.
4. Manual for youth workers how to develop and how to use mobile games (or other similar tools) in their work.
5. Trained 120 youth workers how to develop and use mobile games in the youth work.
6. More than 100 youth workers, youth leaders and youth NGO members, designers, teachers etc. directly involved in the project (participants in focus groups and presentations during the products development and testing).
7. mGames web platform for mobile games in the youth work.
Project impact:
1. Increased capacity of the youth workers in the ICT implementation in the youth work and increased involvement of the young people by providing strong tools and training material available in all partner languages;
2. Increased capacity of youth trainers on how to use mobile games in the out-of-school youth training;
3. Providing the national institutions and authorities with an innovative model for work with young people; Showing the nowadays trends and cases of using mobile games in the training process;
4. The developed methodology and games will be available for free and applicable in all the European countries; there will be information and links to the developed resources from the major youth resources portals.
5. Promoting and enhancing cooperation among the involved institutions and other stakeholders on European/International level.
Partners:
National Student Information and Career Center /NSICC/, Bulgaria - Project Coordinator
Student Computer Art Society /SCAS/, Bulgaria
Arbeitskreis Ostviertel e.V., Germany
Association for Culture and Education KID KIBLA, Slovenia
Associazione Culturale ORIENTARE, Italy
Disclaimer:
The author/project partners takes no responsibility for the timeliness, accuracy or completeness of the information provided. The author is in no event liable for damages of any kind incurred or suffered as a result of the use or non-use of the information presented on this website or the mobile applications developed in the frame of the project or the use of defective or incomplete information.
Supported by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. This project 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.