Issue No. 01 Vocational Training in Programming Using A Game Based Appraoch : VGame
Project Partners Leeds City College (Coordinator) Leeds, United Kingdom MECB Ltd. Iklin, Malta
Teaching Programming Skills in a Digital Era In this issue Introduction p.1 Game Concept p.1 Project Objectives p.1 Leeds Kick-off Meeting p.2 About Erasmus+ p.2
Keep in Touch You may keep up to date with the latest V-Game activities by visiting the official project web-page: www.v-game.eu All the news, dissemination events and project updates will be published through this web-page. The page may also be access by scanning the QR code below.
Action Synergy SA Athens, Greece
Kehtna, Estonia
Kuressaare Ametikool
Saaremaa, Estonia
Colegiul Tehnic Dimitrie Leonida
Petrosani, Romania
CERES
Rome, Italy
4
Meet the V-Game Partners p.3 Digital Games in Learning p.3 Project Partners p.4
Kehtna School of Economy and Technology
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. Project No. 2014-1-UK01-KA202-001658
December 2014
Keeping in Touch p.4
Project Objectives O1: To conduct a study in order to understand the needs of students and the s t a k e h ol d e r s who teach programming skills. O2: To develop a digital game intended at fulfilling the needs identified in O1. The development process will also include the creation of material which will support stakeholders in implementing and using the developed game. O3: To disseminate the outcomes of this project at a national level through a variety of media such as this newsletter, the creation of a project web-page and other dissemination events.
www.v-game.eu
Welcome! Welcome to issue No. 1 of the V-Game digital newsletter. This issue marks the launch of the Erasmus+ project entitled: Vocational Training in Programming Using A Game Based Approach: V-Game November 2014 saw the kick-off meeting between the project partners which was hosted by Leeds City College who is co-ordinating this project. The Erasmus+ programme is bringing together 7 partners from 6 countries. The general object of the project is to explore and develop a digital game that can be exploited in order to teach VET students HTML5 and Java Script programming languages. This digital newsletter will bring you new, latest events and forthcoming activities of the project.
Game Concept V-Game is a web-based role-playing game, which is being developed as part of the Erasmus+ V-Game project. The objective of the game is to introduce the gamers to basic webpage programming languages such as HTML5 and CSS and also JavaScript. Throughout the game the player assumes the role of a teenager who wants to make a lot of money. In order to achieve this goal the player has to address numerous challenges related to programming and cyber-security. In addition the player will also be required to set up a secure web -based business where the character may interact with others. To this extent the story line enables the user to learn about cyber security and also get basic knowledge about entrepreneurship. It follows that the game teaches the user about a diverse set of topics while rendering the learning experience more enjoyable.
1
Issue No. 01
Leeds Kick-Off Meeting The first meeting between the project partners was hosted by Leeds City College who is also the co-ordinator of this Erasmus+ project. The meeting enabled the project partners to introduce their respective organization and also outline their motivation and interest in the project. Throughout the meeting the partners discussed a variety of topics which helped setting up and laying the foundations for the projects. In addition the partners attended an information session on how to use webbased collaboration tools such as Google Hangouts and Google Drive. These web-based tools would enable the project members to collaborate and communicate with each other throughout the project. During the visit at Leeds City College the partners discussed the concept behind the game, the narrative of the story and the programming languages to be taught through the game to be developed. The meeting also served as a platform through which the partners were able to discuss various aspects related to the administration of the project and plan events for the upcoming months. To this extent we are very excited to announce that the following meetings are to be hosted in :
Estonia on the 26-27th March 2015
Malta on the 15-16th July 2015
About Erasmus+ is a European Commission programme which aims to boost skill as well as modernise education and training. The objective of this programme is motivated by the need for Europe to provide its citizens with moderns ways of teaching and learning in order to embrace new arising opportunities. To this extent an objective of Erasmus+ is to support the development of digital education and the use of ICT.
2
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. Project No. 2014-1-UK01-KA202-001658
Meet the V-Game Partners The V-Game project involves 7 partners from the United Kingdom, Malta, Greece, Italy, Romania and two partners from Estonia. In this first issue we are introducing two partners from two island states: Leeds City College from the United Kingdom and MECB Ltd. from Malta.
Leeds City College (Coordinator) Leeds, United Kingdom Leeds City College (LCC) is the Uk’s third largest Further Education establishment offering a diverse curriculum to more than 40,000 students. Academic & vocational qualifications are available for pre & post 16’s through to adult learners, employers and businesses. LCC is renowned for a number of key specialisms, namely creative & cultural skills, food & drink manufacture, hospitality, retail, financial services and sports & fitness. LCC has a proven history of participating in Transnational Mobility projects, and is leading on the Project Management & Quality Control of V-Game. To find out more about LCC & our Transnational Projects please follow: http://www.leedscitycollege.ac.uk/
MECB Ltd. Iklin, Malta MECB Ltd. Is a consultancy bureau based on the Mediterranean Island of Malta with a number of years of experience in the provision of multidisciplinary, high quality technical consulting, research and training services ranging from support to SME & high-tech industries to help them compete effectively through a number of methodologies and technologies. MECB has over the years also participated in Leonardo, Grundtvig, EEA, FP7 and other EU projects covering topics such as Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, Innovation, e-Learning and Augmented Reality. MECB has experience in managing Work Packges, in delivering high-quality deliverables and in hosting effective and joyful partner meetings. Further information on MECB’s profile is available at : www.mecb.com.mt/eu.
www.v-game.eu
Enhancing Learning A new report examines how teachers are using digital games in their classrooms to monitor student learning and provide ongoing feedback. The overall study is designed to help game designers as they develop educational games, researchers as they frame future studies of games and learning, and educators as they think about the role of games in everyday classroom practice. The study was conducted in two parts, the first of which was a nationwide survey of 488 teachers. The most exciting finding in this study is the relationship between game use and formative assessment practices," said Barry Fishman, professor of learning technologies at the University of Michigan School of Information and School of Education. "Formative assessment is thought of as one of the most important classroom practices to support student learning, and our study indicates that teachers who use games for formative assessment conduct assessment more frequently and report fewer barriers." Source: Science Daily Date: December 9, 2014
3
Issue No. 01
Leeds Kick-Off Meeting The first meeting between the project partners was hosted by Leeds City College who is also the co-ordinator of this Erasmus+ project. The meeting enabled the project partners to introduce their respective organization and also outline their motivation and interest in the project. Throughout the meeting the partners discussed a variety of topics which helped setting up and laying the foundations for the projects. In addition the partners attended an information session on how to use webbased collaboration tools such as Google Hangouts and Google Drive. These web-based tools would enable the project members to collaborate and communicate with each other throughout the project. During the visit at Leeds City College the partners discussed the concept behind the game, the narrative of the story and the programming languages to be taught through the game to be developed. The meeting also served as a platform through which the partners were able to discuss various aspects related to the administration of the project and plan events for the upcoming months. To this extent we are very excited to announce that the following meetings are to be hosted in :
Estonia on the 26-27th March 2015
Malta on the 15-16th July 2015
About Erasmus+ is a European Commission programme which aims to boost skill as well as modernise education and training. The objective of this programme is motivated by the need for Europe to provide its citizens with moderns ways of teaching and learning in order to embrace new arising opportunities. To this extent an objective of Erasmus+ is to support the development of digital education and the use of ICT.
2
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. Project No. 2014-1-UK01-KA202-001658
Meet the V-Game Partners The V-Game project involves 7 partners from the United Kingdom, Malta, Greece, Italy, Romania and two partners from Estonia. In this first issue we are introducing two partners from two island states: Leeds City College from the United Kingdom and MECB Ltd. from Malta.
Leeds City College (Coordinator) Leeds, United Kingdom Leeds City College (LCC) is the Uk’s third largest Further Education establishment offering a diverse curriculum to more than 40,000 students. Academic & vocational qualifications are available for pre & post 16’s through to adult learners, employers and businesses. LCC is renowned for a number of key specialisms, namely creative & cultural skills, food & drink manufacture, hospitality, retail, financial services and sports & fitness. LCC has a proven history of participating in Transnational Mobility projects, and is leading on the Project Management & Quality Control of V-Game. To find out more about LCC & our Transnational Projects please follow: http://www.leedscitycollege.ac.uk/
MECB Ltd. Iklin, Malta MECB Ltd. Is a consultancy bureau based on the Mediterranean Island of Malta with a number of years of experience in the provision of multidisciplinary, high quality technical consulting, research and training services ranging from support to SME & high-tech industries to help them compete effectively through a number of methodologies and technologies. MECB has over the years also participated in Leonardo, Grundtvig, EEA, FP7 and other EU projects covering topics such as Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, Innovation, e-Learning and Augmented Reality. MECB has experience in managing Work Packges, in delivering high-quality deliverables and in hosting effective and joyful partner meetings. Further information on MECB’s profile is available at : www.mecb.com.mt/eu.
www.v-game.eu
Enhancing Learning A new report examines how teachers are using digital games in their classrooms to monitor student learning and provide ongoing feedback. The overall study is designed to help game designers as they develop educational games, researchers as they frame future studies of games and learning, and educators as they think about the role of games in everyday classroom practice. The study was conducted in two parts, the first of which was a nationwide survey of 488 teachers. The most exciting finding in this study is the relationship between game use and formative assessment practices," said Barry Fishman, professor of learning technologies at the University of Michigan School of Information and School of Education. "Formative assessment is thought of as one of the most important classroom practices to support student learning, and our study indicates that teachers who use games for formative assessment conduct assessment more frequently and report fewer barriers." Source: Science Daily Date: December 9, 2014
3
Issue No. 01 Vocational Training in Programming Using A Game Based Appraoch : VGame
Project Partners Leeds City College (Coordinator) Leeds, United Kingdom MECB Ltd. Iklin, Malta
Teaching Programming Skills in a Digital Era In this issue Introduction p.1 Game Concept p.1 Project Objectives p.1 Leeds Kick-off Meeting p.2 About Erasmus+ p.2
Keep in Touch You may keep up to date with the latest V-Game activities by visiting the official project web-page: www.v-game.eu All the news, dissemination events and project updates will be published through this web-page. The page may also be access by scanning the QR code below.
Action Synergy SA Athens, Greece
Kehtna, Estonia
Kuressaare Ametikool
Saaremaa, Estonia
Colegiul Tehnic Dimitrie Leonida
Petrosani, Romania
CERES
Rome, Italy
4
Meet the V-Game Partners p.3 Digital Games in Learning p.3 Project Partners p.4
Kehtna School of Economy and Technology
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. Project No. 2014-1-UK01-KA202-001658
December 2014
Keeping in Touch p.4
Project Objectives O1: To conduct a study in order to understand the needs of students and the s t a k e h ol d e r s who teach programming skills. O2: To develop a digital game intended at fulfilling the needs identified in O1. The development process will also include the creation of material which will support stakeholders in implementing and using the developed game. O3: To disseminate the outcomes of this project at a national level through a variety of media such as this newsletter, the creation of a project web-page and other dissemination events.
www.v-game.eu
Welcome! Welcome to issue No. 1 of the V-Game digital newsletter. This issue marks the launch of the Erasmus+ project entitled: Vocational Training in Programming Using A Game Based Approach: V-Game November 2014 saw the kick-off meeting between the project partners which was hosted by Leeds City College who is co-ordinating this project. The Erasmus+ programme is bringing together 7 partners from 6 countries. The general object of the project is to explore and develop a digital game that can be exploited in order to teach VET students HTML5 and Java Script programming languages. This digital newsletter will bring you new, latest events and forthcoming activities of the project.
Game Concept V-Game is a web-based role-playing game, which is being developed as part of the Erasmus+ V-Game project. The objective of the game is to introduce the gamers to basic webpage programming languages such as HTML5 and CSS and also JavaScript. Throughout the game the player assumes the role of a teenager who wants to make a lot of money. In order to achieve this goal the player has to address numerous challenges related to programming and cyber-security. In addition the player will also be required to set up a secure web -based business where the character may interact with others. To this extent the story line enables the user to learn about cyber security and also get basic knowledge about entrepreneurship. It follows that the game teaches the user about a diverse set of topics while rendering the learning experience more enjoyable.
1