Are you interested in how gamification supporting learning and empowerment has developed over the past years? What about how digital youth work has been done in Finland and how does it’s future look like? Virtual Gamified Diamonds Seminar was organised in order to explore these questions and to have a gamified experience of the best ideas of CONNEXT for inclusion project e.g. on how to apply gamification in the following themes:
- working with migrants and refugees
- gender sensitivity and awareness
- sports inspired pedagogy
- study and career counselling
Target group: Any counsellors, teachers, coaches, other professionals and students, who wish to understand how to use gamification to support learning and empowerment particularly with the youth
Language: Presentations, group discussions and the game platform are in English, but while playing the game you are welcome to use any preferred language
PROGRAMME
9.00 Welcome
9.15 Gamified Education: Theories, Practices and Recent Trends
Researcher Lobna Hassan (University of Tampere/Turku, lobnahassan.com)
In recent years, gamification emerged as one key method to improve learning and engagement. At the beginning, we often understood gamification as introducing game elements, such as points, badges or leaderboards, to the educational process. However, as our knowledge on gamification grew, gamification started to be conceptualized as a much deeper process. Gamification designers often employ psychology theory and research, so as to understand what motivates individuals and build gamification that is able to connect to these motivations in different contexts, for example in the educational contexts. Work has additionally been done to examine personal differences in gamification, in an effort to make sure that gamification is inclusive and facilitates inclusion. This presentation briefly introduces gamification, some of the key theoretical perspectives it is connected to and provides research and practical examples of gamification.
Reflections on the presentation in small groups
10.15 Energizing break
10.30 Digital youth work in Finland
Planner Juha Kiviniemi (Verke – Centre of Expertise for Digital Youth Work in Finland)
Finnish digital youth work has been and is widely considered one of the most developed in the world. However, there is still much to do: while the field is highly advanced in terms of using online platforms and interacting with young people on digital platforms, we have our blind spots as well. Especially working in international contexts it is clear how different European member states have their own strengths and how much we have to learn from each other, whether it’s working on social media, tinkering with electronics or producing high quality media content. In this presentation we look at major technological developments and phenomena in the last decade and see how the Finnish youth field reacted to them. We also take a peek at the wider European context now and in the future.
Reflections on the presentation in small groups
11.15 Lunch break
11.45 Playing a game: CONNEXT Diamonds
Seminar participants will have an opportunity to become inspired by the gamified approaches and materials developed in CONNEXT in Finland, Flanders and Sweden through playing a game CONNEXT Diamonds. Each participant should have a mobile phone or a tablet with an internet connection.
The CONNEXT Diamonds game has been prepared in collaboration with Loisto Setlementti Girls’ House and Empowering Migrants for Employment EME project.
Instructions on the technical game platform
Independent playing of CONNEXT Diamonds game
Reflection in small groups
Wrap-up of the game experience
13.30 End of the day
For further information on the seminar, please contact: mai.salmenkangas @ metropolia.fi
CONNEXT -hanke on poiminut ammattilaisille olemassa olevista peleistään pieniä tehtäväkokonaisuuksia, joilla voi kannustaa eristyksessä olevia nuoria liikuttamaan kehoaan ja virkistämään mieltään. Niihin voi tutustua kahdella tavalla:
Osana erästä opintojaksoa Metropolia kutsui Stadin VALMA-opiskelijat vierailulle ja pelaamaan uudelle Myllypuron kampukselle. CONNEXT-peliä pelattiin suomeksi sekä englanniksi 3-4 hengen ryhmissä, joissa molempien koulujen opiskelijat sekoittuivat moninaisine kielitaustoineen. Tietoa Metropolian opiskelumahdollisuuksista ja uudesta kampuksesta kerättiin suorittamalla toiminnallisia harjoitteita, joita pelin kysymykset ohjasivat. Pelatessaan ryhmät liikkuivat rakennuksen eri tiloissa.
Yhteinen peli oli sopivan lyhyt ja vaihteleva tehtävien edetessä nopeasti. Paljon aikaa ei jäänyt mietiskelyyn, kun toisia opiskelijoita oli lähestyttävä haastattelun merkeissä. Pelissä oli yllätyksellisiä elementtejä, kun heti ensimmäinen ei suostunut haastateltavaksi. Vastaukset ladattiin tehtävän kohdalle ja jatkettiin uusiin tehtäviin.
Kauniina, kesäisenä toukokuun päivänä kokoontuivat HNMKY:n tulevat Yökoriksen kesätyöntekijät yhteen ja tutustuivat sekä toisiinsa että tulevaan kesätyöhönsä pelaamalla mobiilisti 
Kysy neljältä vastaantulijalta, mitä palveluita tai tuotteita he tarvitsisivat. Piirrä uuden yrityksesi logo värillisillä liiduilla asvalttiin. Haastattele yrittäjää ja videoi vastaus, mitkä kolme asiaa olivat hänen yrityksensä alkutaipaleella vaikeinta.