elearning_label_learning_and_society

In parallel to the phenomenal rise of the digital game development industry through time, the acceptance of games in other sectors has also been changing. Computer game skills have been increasingly applied in almost all areas of human activity within modern societies. Digital games have now been embraced by the academic research community as a research topic, as well as discovered by the education sector as a highly interactive media that can support and foster learning. As a popular and powerful media, computer games are being considered for use in various education and training settings to motivate learners, to focus their attention, and to help them to construct meaningful and permanent records of their learning.

Games have high presence in informal segments of learning – but in formal education, games are still often seen as an unserious activity and the potentials of games for learning remain undiscovered. However, when evaluating games with their children, 85% of parents believed that computer games contributed to learning as well as providing entertainment.

Beside fantasy and fun elements, games have potential to foster players’ ability to communicate and interact with others during gameplay. Computer games can help players to think critically when they are required to construct connections between virtual and real life. Game-like learning environments can provide motivating interdisciplinary learning settings, creating opportunities that could improve student collaboration skills as well as help them learn new concepts and synthesize new information. Games have also been praised for the potential they offer in learning business leadership and other skills by practicing in a safe environment.

The potential of Game Based Learning (GBL) is still underestimated. It can play a major role in renewing learning as it is perceived by learners in all levels of education and training systems. eLearning Papers seeks contributions about mixed realities, virtual worlds and gaming in both sections: In-Depth and From the Field.

We specifically invite contributions which address one or several of the following issues:

• Innovative game based learning technologies, applications, tools and environments
• 3D virtual worlds supporting learning, e.g. in language learning or leadership training
• Use of mobile games and location-based technology for learning
• Innovative applications of mixed realities for learning
• Use of simulations in education, corporate training and military
• Technology for massive multiplayer online games (MMOGs) for learning
• Interactivity design in game based learning applications
• Player immersion and learning
• Case studies and best practices in GBL
• Social and collaborative aspects of GBL
• Implementation issues associated with GBL
• Learning design, good gameplay and instructional theory for GBL
• Use of role plays for learning and training
• Assessment and evaluation in GBL
• Gender, age, cultural and ethical issues in GBL
• Rating of games for learning
• Accessibility of games for learning

The article submission has been extended to June 3, 2011 The provisional date of publishing is 14 July 2011. For further information and to submit your article, please contact:

Guest editor:

Professor DI Dr. Maja Pivec, University of Applied Sciences FH JOANNEUM in Graz, Austria

The submissions need to comply with the following guidelines:

• Submission language: English
• Title: must effectively and creatively communicate the content of the article and may include a subtitle.
• Executive summary for In-depth section should not exceed 200 words.
• Executive summary for From the field section should not exceed 50 words.
• Keywords: up to five relevant keywords need to be included.
• In-depth full texts: articles should range from 4,000 to 6,000 words.
• From the field texts: texts should not exceed 1,200 words.
• Conclusions: special importance is given to the representation of the conclusions, which should be clearly stated both in the summary and at the end of the article.
• References: All the references must be adequately cited and listed.
• Author profile: author name, institution, position and e-mail address must accompany each submission.
• Images: Please send high resolution JPEG files

See the complete guidelines at: Instructions for writers

The vocational education and training sector in Portugal consists of a multitude of public and private players. Their activities range from conventional face-to-face lectures, e-learning and blended learning, the production of learning or teaching materials, to various educational services. However, an objective comparison of all these different learning opportunities was difficult in the past, as the definition of “good” education and training remained a mere matter of opinion and the standard that existed in Portugal for decades did not address these learning opportunities in a comprehensive and was more focused on face-to-face learning. This problem became especially obvious in the growing e-learning market.
The project Q-Cert-VET addresses this gap by developing such a national quality standard and by initiating the development of required tools for professional quality certification. However, it is not necessary to re-invent the wheel: instead, the proven quality standards of other EU countries can by transferred to Portugal through adaption to its specific legal, didactic and cultural framework conditions. The reference framework QPL (short for Quality Platform Learning), developed in Germany, provides the basis for the new quality standard and related instruments and tools for the certification scheme, including the first training course for lead auditors.

The project has been implemented through the following phases:

The first phase is aimed at the development of a specific SMILEY methodology enabling the teachers involved in the project to apply the multimedia technologies having as final aim engaging the students on different social issues and problems such as bullying, violent attitudes, ethnic and religious discrimination, etc...

The second phase is oriented to practical training of Referring Teachers in the use of ICT in education. The specific objective of this phase has been achieved through the design and implementation of integrated courses and through  the provision of specific textbooks designed to allow teachers to make the best use of digital potential and to facilitate the transmission and dissemination of the SMILEY  methodology to other teachers in the respective countries.

The third phase will be addressed to the direct involvement of students through the experimentation of “Your Town”, an educational role-playing game (ERPG) as an interactive tool of testing and stimulating the students' level of social mindedness. Through a game-based learning approach and within a safe virtual town scenario, this exciting new game encourages players age 10–16 years to think about various positive and negative social issues and situations with a view to promoting constructive, co-operative, social minded behaviour. 

Keeping children safe online is a key commitment of the Digital Agenda for Europe (general DAE information available at IP/10/581, MEMO/10/199 and MEMO/10/200).

Although the Internet was not created for children, they are using it at an increasingly younger age. 4 in 10 children report having encountered risks online such as cyber-bullying, being exposed to user-generated content promoting anorexia or self-harm or misuse of their personal data. While by 2015 it is expected that 90% of jobs across all sectors will require technology skills, only 25% of young people across the EU say they have "high" levels of basic Internet skills (such as using the Internet to make phone calls, create a web page, or use peer-to-peer file sharing).

The Commission has set out a plan to give children the digital skills and tools they need to benefit fully and safely from the digital world. The internet was not designed with children in mind, but today 75% of children use the internet, a third of them on mobiles. The new strategy is to build up the market for interactive, creative and educational content online, in a partnership between the European Commission and Member States, mobile phone operators, handset manufacturers and providers of social networking services.

The measures outlined in the strategy build on ongoing EU actions in this field. For example, the easy-to-use mechanisms for children, parents and teachers to report harmful content and conduct online will complement the 116 missing children hotlines (see IP/07/188) and the European Cybercrime Centre's future network of national cybercrime alert platforms (see IP/12/317).