Conference "Digital gamification in the classroom: theory and practice"

Conference "Digital gamification in the classroom. Theory and Practice" on 29 January 2024 attracted more than 50 Lithuanian educators and school administrators who are not only curious but also open to innovation in education. The event was like a transformative journey, allowing us to learn new ideas and share good practices about the current educational process, where gamification is becoming an integral part! 

Focusing on learning through games and the use of gamification in the design of learning materials and the organisation of the educational process, the event also delved into the field of gamification itself and offered a treasure trove of tools and activities to help make classrooms more fun and dynamic.

The event was dynamic, combining theory with detailed presentations of Erasmus+ projects (Gamework, DigiFinEdu, GATE, Digicult), interlinked by the application of gamification elements in the educational process, and the practical application of activities in an educational workshop aimed at introducing participants to the potential of digital resources, the choice and application of games and mobile applications in the educational process, and fostering collaboration among teachers.

Keynote speaker of the conference Dr. Tomas Blažauskas, professor of the Faculty of Informatics at Kaunas University of Technology, presented gamification and its significance in the educational process, gave an overview of its possibilities and introduced educators to the already existing simple, but attractive to students interactive gamification tools and e-lessons, where gamification elements are applied. His insights provided a solid basis for subsequent presentations.

Vida Drąsutė, International Projects Manager, gave a detailed presentation on the DigiFinEdu project, providing an overview of financial literacy activities using gamification and digital storytelling, pointing out that games can be an effective tool for the acquisition and empowerment of financial literacy knowledge. The presentation focused on the three outcomes of the international project, which cover both theoretical and practical aspects. The project has developed methodological material, aimed not only at teachers but also at parents, detailing the current context of financial literacy education at national (partner countries) and international level, innovative practices in teaching financial literacy, the role of parents and teachers in developing children's financial literacy and in making them financially responsible adults.

The project also shares examples of practical activities and lesson plans, which are a tool for every teacher to update their teaching material and to provide students with additional tasks or motivating homework.

One of the project's outputs is a visual novel - visual stories with interactive elements - which requires children to use their knowledge and make decisions related to financial literacy.

Vida Drąsutė and Rasa Vidauskienė presented Gamework project and shared experiences in its development. Project focuses on educational gaming environments and strategies to make students' homework engaging and effective in terms of learning information. The presentation provided an overview of an international study carried out at the beginning of the project in partner schools in Lithuania, Greece and Portugal to analyse the benefits and needs of students from different countries and cultures in the classroom for gamification. The second part of the event, a workshop related to Gamework results, gave teachers the opportunity to try out the interactive GameWork homework environment for themselves.

Presentation "Cultural Heritage in Education Using Digital Tools" was made by Neringa Kelpšaitė, International Project Coordinator, she presented the Digicult project, which explores the use of digital tools to teach young people about cultural heritage. 

The project "Gate: Teacher Training Programme for Gifted and Talented Pupils" was presented by Rūta Kuodienė in her presentation "Digital Gamification in Gifted Education. Experiences in the Gate project". The aim of this project is to develop a training programme for primary school teachers and teachers of gifted centres, which would provide them with the necessary skills and competences to apply teaching methodologies to maximise the potential of gifted and talented pupils. An interactive toolkit of methodologies and tools to help teachers better assess their work with students and monitor their progress.

WORKSHOPS:

In the workshop "Financial Literacy Lessons - How to make them engaging", led by teachers Jolanta Ačienė and Albina Abromavičienė from Šaltinio Progymnasium in Raseiniai and Agnė Skabickienė from Simonas Daukantas Progymnasium in Kaunas, the idea of a lesson - creating a business plan through a game of Lego bricks - was presented. This practice brought the teachers together in teamwork and allowed them to express their creativity, which is necessary to develop in order to present unusual tasks to students.

The workshop "Presenting Homework to Students Using Gamification Elements", led by teachers Rasa Vidauskienė and Aušrinė Varškevičienė of Kaunas Juozo Grušo Art Gymnasium, aimed to show creative ways to turn an often mundane homework assignment into an engaging and rewarding experience by allowing teachers to try out and explore the interactive environment of GameWork for themselves. This led to discussions on how such approaches can motivate students to complete tasks and improve their learning outcomes.

In a workshop at Canva, one of the most popular design programmes at the moment, Edita Rudminaitė and Goda Jocytė presented how to use graphic design tools for educational purposes. Participants learned how to use Canva to create visually appealing teaching materials, presentations and learning resources. The session covered the application's environment, the templates and elements offered, features, customisation options and practical tips on how to include visually appealing content in educational materials. Teachers were given an interactive task to create an itinerary of Kaunas' modernist architectural heritage using animated compositional elements.

The integration of digital gaming methods to improve the learning experience in mathematics lessons was explored in a digital gamification mathematics lesson led by Laima Daukšytė - Koncevičienė, a teacher at Kaunas Simonas Daukantas Pro-Gymnasium, who is also a teacher of gifted children at the VMU Gifted Centre. Specific tools, apps or strategies that educators could use in the classroom to make mathematics lessons more interactive and engaging were demonstrated.

The feedback received during the conference showed that the topics presented during the conference are relevant and that such events motivate teachers also through the exchange of experiences with teachers from other schools, the sharing of insights on different aspects of the inclusion of games in the learning process, the discussion of current issues, and the sharing of practices.

Thank you to all those who took part and see you next time.

Presentations:

Mokykime ir mokykimės žaisdami >>

Finansinio raštingumo skatinimas, naudojant žaidybinimą ir skaitmeninį istorijų pasakojimą >>

Žaidybinė namų darbų organizavimo aplinka - kad namų darbų atlikimas būtų kaip žaidimas >>

Kultūros paveldas švietime, pasitelkiant skaitmenines priemones >> 

Skaitmeninis žaidybinimas gabių vaikų ugdyme. Patirtys „GATE” projekte >>