Work on the second result of the project, but also discussion about new (digital, media, and information) literacies and preparations of the last stage of gaMEfy. All of that was on the agenda of the Training of Youth Workers that took place in Thessaloniki, Greece, from 4 to 6 October 2021. It was hosted by the local partner – Aristotle University – at their premises.
The consortium of gaMEfy partners used the training mainly as an opportunity to present and further test the game, and discuss feedback they received so far as well as gain a new one. For its representatives it was also first occasion to meet all of their collaborators in person, as some of them were able to attend kick-off meeting only online. They also introduced their colleagues – youth workers – to others and thus involved more people directly in gaMEfy activities. The agenda of the whole event was not very tight to allow for a proper sharing of opinions, fruitful discussion, and mutual learning, which is very important for development and finalisation of any intellectual output.
The first day was dedicated to introduction into and discussion about digital, media, and information literacies. The participants reflected on chapters of the gaMEfy curriculum and shared their insights into the topic and experiences with research and further development of chapters they were responsible for. The curriculum – specifically its chapters and topics they contain – also served as a basis for creation of the gaMEfy game, which was the main topic of the rest of the training.
At first, the participants shared feedback they gained when testing the game themselves or within events focused on media literacy, or from their colleagues and friends. They were joined for one session by a group of three young people from Greece, who checked the game and provided their opinions on questions and various functionalities.
The second day, and part of the third day, were dedicated to detailed review of 241 questions that are contained in the game. It helped the participants to gain new insights into media and information literacy and to explore topics which they had not been familiar with before. Sometimes they needed to rephrase the questions or answers to make them more understandable, sometimes it was necessary to change type of the question. Only a few questions needed to be deleted or replaced completely.
This approach was very useful, as during personal discussions it was easier for developers of the game – Platforma Akademia – to find a solution to what needs to be changed in the game. As a result, glossary with explanation of specific terms is already included and the most difficult questions have been moved to the last round, so-called Castle.
The rest of the last day of the training was dedicated to initial discussion about the last result of the project: Guidelines on the learning opportunities and areas for future improvement in the field, based on piloting of the gaMEfy game. The partners agreed on the general structure of the document and division of their roles in the development process. The day and whole training were concluded by discussion about other next steps – local multiplier events and international final conference – and evaluation of the training.
Walks around the city of Thessaloniki and informal dinners helped participants to not only get to know each other better and discover new areas for collaboration, but also refresh and explore a bit of rich Greek history and culture. The project partners left Thessaloniki with a good feedback from other participants, inspiration, and new ideas. They can keep working towards finalisation of the results of the project and development in the field of media and information literacy.
Follow news on the gaMEfy platform and social media to get the latest updates on the progress. And don’t forget to play the game – either as a registered player or a guest. Enjoy it and please share your feedback with gaMEfy team through Facebook or Instagram.
