The series of 6 online meetings foreseen by the K2 Erasmus Plus project "Gaming as Social Skills Learning Tool", of which the JUMP Association is the italian partner, as an experimental phase of the outputs realized so far has just ended.
After a long period of analysis of the current situation, tools and methods used in the different partner countries to use gaming as a social learning and tool and theoretical studies about strategies to evaluate social skills/competences of young people, partners are now in the practical phase in which these results can be tested; they established two groups of NEETs and young people with social difficulties and struggling with various psychological challenges, supported by the new figure of the E-Coaches, to help and support the target group chosen.
Between November 2021 and January 2022 were held 6 gaming sessions, during which 4 gamers for each partner country played against and together with each other observed by the figure of E-Coaches that, through questionnaires filled out at the end of each session, evaluated the different skills shown by the young players linked with the 5 macro-categories:
socialization; interaction experience; participation in community; self confidence; self-esteem
The gamers from the different partner countries, thanks to the use of technology, connected to the Discord platform to form teams and played to the 3 popular videogames for computer: League of Legends, Counter Striker and Toy Box Metropolis.
During all sessions social interaction played an important role and players had to collaborate each others through communication and coordination, disciplining themselves and influencing their teammates.
The gamers were thrilled to participate in a European project that involved them as the absolute protagonists of an experimental phase that is coming to an end.
The young people were able to create the right environment to share experiences and ideas, confronting themselves in the virtual world with their peers in different contexts.
The next step of the project is the Learning Teaching Training in Italy organized by the JUMP Association of Soverato the first days of March 2022, during which most of the gamers who participated in these online meetings will finally be able to meet and live the experience in first person taking the opportunity to strengthen and develop new skills.
Guys we are waiting for you!
Here some pictures of the online gaming sessions.
Author:
Ylenia Azzaro - JUMP Team
