Games for inclusion: piecing together the European jigsaw by Roger Blamire

1. Games for inclusion: piecing
together the European jigsaw
Roger Blamire
Patrizia Lotti
Silvia Panzavolta
Terry Waller

2. Overview
• The jigsaw pieces:
– Inclusion in Europe
– Games in schools in Europe
• Joining the pieces: networking and connecting
– European Schoolnet
– SENnet:
• Research and innovation
– Themes: mainstreaming, Universal Design for Learning, games
• Improving access to digital content
• Teacher education and support

3. Evidence from research
• Benefits include
– Contextualized problem-solving spaces
– Engaging, individualized learning
– Bridging in- and out-of-school learning
– High emotional impact
– Communities of practice
– Embedded assessment
• Move from description of benefits to how
learners can benefit

4. Examples of games: Italy
a special case of an accessible videogame:
Nicolas Eymerich, http://www.eymerich.it/
The producer

5. Examples of games: Italy
Video on Youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aygf7Fzrq64

6. Examples of games: Italy
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Description: the Inquisitor audio game is an adaptation of the Nicolas
Eymerich adventure game and is playable in English, Latin and Italian, by
tapping an iPad with one or two fingers by blind people; it is compliant
with Italian guidelines for dyslexic people
Target group: as of 12 years and +
Languages: Italian, English, Latin
UD approach: version for blind is the same 3D scenario with additional
audio instructions (as the blind testing the game preferred a game with
the same level of complexity instead of a simplified version); the version in
Latin was made by a blind Latinist
Feedback: positive feedback on the fact that mainstream content was
adopted (instead of producing specific “politically correct” content)
Cost: the app costs 13 Euro, and there have been almost 1000 downloads
so far with no promotion (70% in the US). Even so it is difficult to market
such a product globally – the producer writes on blogs and uses social
media channels.
Producer: TiconBlu Srl, http://www.ticonblu.it/

7. Examples of games: Italy
• Useful links:
– To find easy and quick info about the game functions:
http://www.eymerich.it/index.php?center=audiogame&la
ng=eng
– Forum topic on Audiogames.net talking about the
Inquisitor Audiogame:
http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?id=10073
– Impressions that blind users had: link to the iOS version on
iTunes:
www.appstore.com/theInquisitorAudiogameAdventure
– International trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as1J7bXxDAk

8. Workflow to create a videogame
• as teaching tools
to reach an educational objective, the teacher creates their
own game
according particular goals, the teacher adapts a video game to
a new class or a particular student
• as learning tools
to reach an educational objective, the teacher creates a video
game with the students of the class
learning takes place through the steps of operation for the
making of the videogame; whole class participates and tasks
are distributed according to different students' skills

9. Effective use of videogames
1. Teacher puts the contents of an educational goal in
narrative form
2. Teacher or the class does the screenplay (events
related to interactions)
3. Teacher or the class puts together all the necessary
resources (photographs, drawings, films, music …)
4. Teacher or the class realizes the game using an
authoring tool

10. Authoring tool
Adventure Maker www.adventuremaker.com/
Live Code http://livecode.com/
Unity 3D http://unity3d.com/unity

11. Examples
Pilot courses made in the project learning game
(http://learningame.org/pilot_courses/)
Manual for the application of
Videogames and Multimedia for
educational and training purposes
http://www.learningame.org/info/manual.php

12. Examples from other countries

13. Belgium
• WaiNot
– Safe and fun
environment for
those with
learning
difficulties
• Monkey Tales
– Adaptive maths
games

14. Netherlands
• Heelseeker (Planet
Commander)
– Managing effects of
ADHD
– Video clip
• Kung Fu Kitchen and
Theraplay
– Kinect
– Cognitive and physical
challenges

15. Austria
• Lifetool: games for
children with disabilities
– Play with me
– Wheel Sim
– Puzzle World
– Switch Trainer

16. Towards wider adoption of games in
schools
Despite compelling [educational, economic and
technological] reasons for large-scale adoption of
games in learning, formal learning is still a few years
away from embracing games as mainstream
practice. Significant barriers prevent their
integration within curricula, including: relevance;
accuracy and appropriateness of content; difficulty
of adaptation; negative stakeholder perception of
learning achieved; lack of time; other resources
available to teachers; suitability for adults; child
safety; costs of technology and gender issues.

17. Discussion points
• Which pieces of the jigsaw are missing?
• What needs to be done?

18. Contacts
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SENnet website
Roger Blamire: roger.blamire@eun.org
Patrizia Lotti: p.lotti@indire.it
Silvia Panzavolta : s.panzavolta@indire.it
Terry Waller: tpawaller@gmail.com
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication
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.