Serious games represent a fostering environment for the optimization of mindsets and stimulation to solve water challenges empirically. The proper learning path and experience can be created with professional facilitation, which requires strategic use of ICT and virtual collaboration tools.
Serious games play a key role within the augmented collaboration toolkit developed by H2OPeople. This toolkit facilitates the serious games to support collaboration among different participants and work toward a joint narrative by providing a brief practical guideline on best practices of collaborative skills, basic tools, and the “do’s” and “don’ts” to watch out for in using serious games for education and training.
“Using digital serious games the right way with a variety of stakeholders can open up some very real strategies in managing an uncertain future of water resources. We’re excited how this new toolkit can help guide people in the water sector to step out of their comfort zones to experiment with bolder approaches and broader collaboration,” said Rasha Hassan, Project Officer with H2OPeople.
Intercultural communication and dealing with minority voices in group processes are employed in this toolkit to improve collaboration among diverse groups of learners and to support the search for innovative solutions. The development of transversal and digital skills as well as management and leadership skills of participants is also an aim of using serious games with such a structured approach.
This toolkit contains two components:
· Digital tools for the augmented collaboration (Miro, GroupMap and Howspace).
· Collaborative skills development tools (InterVision peer-coaching) methodology, Deep Democracy (Lewis) and Culture Mapping Tool (Erin Meyer).
Both components lead to a deeper impact in the way educators train in organisations and water-related higher education. These components also make the toolkit highly transferable technically between organizations interested in implementing it and between other disciplines, teaching and training areas.
Join the SMARTEN project Multiplier Event “Potential of serious games for digital water education” in June among the activities of EJWP New Waves Festival at Water Innovation Europe for a unique experience in combining serious games and digital collaboration tools open possibilities for improved participation and learning. SMARTEN (www.smartenproject.eu), an Erasmus+ project based on serious gaming models, promotes a digital educational environment of equity and inclusion toward more efficient management of limited water resources and beyond.
Education, water resources and nearly every other sector of the EU depend on a readiness to communicate and apply information across evolving digital landscapes. Get involved with SMARTEN to help shape the future of new digital interactions!
For more information, please contact: ntimmer@h2o-people.eu