Abstract:

The purpose of the project “Game to EMbrace INtercultural education” – GEM IN (Erasmus+ Programme 2014-2020 EACEA/21/2018 Social Inclusion and Common Values: The Contribution in the Field of Education and Training) is to support intercultural education at school and in non-formal educational contexts as vehicle to promote social inclusion, intercultural dialogue and active citizenship by fostering European values.

GEM IN developed a digital board game which led the participants, the beneficiaries and the educators to approach an innovative and creative way common values and fundamental rights, thanks to an educational path mostly based on learning by playing approach, which represents one of the most valuable assets of the good practice to be scaled up.

Learning by playing enabling to promote educational pilot programmes for intercultural citizenship through playing combined with other non-formal methodologies, empowering participants to the project’s activities to develop their knowledge and ownership of the common European values and increase their intercultural awareness.

Another important aspect of the methodological approach of the game is the Creative Thinking: it is a mean and an objective to reach in educational context because it also allows youngsters to develop critical thinking while being engaged in a fun activity.

It is in young age that these skills are formed and can be further developed, when the very basis of creativity are layed down and being the environment where youngsters can develop this ability very important, as a consequence schools should be equipped to reach this objective.

It is fundamental that schools are ready to promote and to develop youngsters’ creativity in order to empower younger generation and prepare them for the future.

The digital game enriches the learning experience of students and young people as well as provide a further resource to support teachers and non-formal educators in promoting the acquisition of social and civic competences, fostering knowledge, understanding and ownership of values and fundamental rights. It is a noteworthy tool which embraces the European culture promoting values of intercultural dialogue and social inclusion.

Indeed, the methodological approach and the educational framework are specifically targeting the acquisition of social and civic competences, fostering knowledge, understanding and ownership of values and fundamental rights.

Play and the dynamics of creative thinking linked to learning through a playful approach can be winning solutions to stimulate learning about what is far from us and sometimes, apparently, different from us.

Intercultural dialogue takes place in a playful, fun and dynamic way. Through the approach of learning by playing one can play with cultures, get to know new ones, learn through play about the history, traditions, food, sport, of distant countries and discover many similarities that people have between them.

Through the dynamics of the game, prejudice stops and curiosity advances, thus breaking the dangerous patterns given by conformism, prejudice and lack of dialogue with what is different from us.

In this way, through play and the playful approach, young people can learn new things but also increase their critical thinking, tolerance, respect for what is often described as the enemy simply because it is different from us, in the hope of being able to create more inclusive and welcoming communities.

Keywords:

Digital board game, social inclusion, intercultural education, European values, Creative Thinking, Learning by playing, Intercultural dialogue.