"Project Name: Game It till you Make It". YE in Orland, Norway | 7 to 16 of February 2023

Project

Name: Game It till you Make It

Activity: Youth Exchange in Norway (Orland) of 30 participants (4 participants, ages from 18 to 27 + 1 leader, no age limiti, each organisation)

Accomodation: "Kystperlen, Sorvoll" villa in Orland, Norway.

Dates of the Activity: From 7 to 16 of February 2023 (8 days of activities and 2 travellling days)

5 participants from the following Countries: Norway, Georgia, Cyprus, Spain, Ukraine, Romania.

Implementation

Game it till you mate it is a youth exchange program based on the topic of gamification and game based learning. The aim of the project is was to discuss concepts of the above, to understand the differences between these two, to share tools and tools that help

to gamify learning experiences. Furthermore, to get to know best gamified practices and to experience their advantage over "traditional" learning experiences. This youth exchange we had the opportunity to share with people from Georgia, Ukraine, Spain, Romania ana Norway. Project took place and we had in the project a team of 5 persons from our organisation. What our participants told us about the project:

Sotiroula: I was very attracted when I first saw the program, I applied immediately as I wanted to learn and experience the comprehension this project will give me. The best thing about erasmus plus projects are the people you meet and the memories you make together. This youth exchange heighten my knowledge about gamification and game based learning through different kind of activities.

Constantinos: The whole 10 days of the project was an experience that will remain unforgettable for every participant. At a magic place in a beautiful small village in Norway we learned about gamification process and how to improvise learning techniques through game base learning, making them more interesting and approachable to the learner. We used those techniques for achieving the knowledge while having fun and creating memories. The best thing however was interacting with teams from other countries building friendships and having an amazing time together.

Christos: From the very beginning i was sure that this program would be a great opportunity for me to meet new people and cultures and see new places and i think i accomplished all of my goals. The Gamification Methods before i came here it was something not very interesting for me but during my time in the program i changed my mind and learnt a lot about them.

Giannis: It was my first erasmus + project and I really enjoyed participating in any kind of gamification activities and living with multicultural people with the view of Norwegian fjords. And i will for sure remember those memories for the rest of my life!!!!!

Ioannella: Gamification nowadays is being more and more popular. Seeing the post and the country where it was held, it really got my attention.

Total of 30 participants

This is a youth exchange designed for young people, volunteers, active citizens, people with fewer opportunities who are eager to get familiar with gamification and gamebased learning approaches; share intercultural knowledge; improve skills and make a tangible impact on society. The key concept is to gather participants to share and find ways of experiencing novel game-based learning methods and the gamification of existing methods using non-formal education.

Participants need to:

• Be 18-27 years old (leaders can be in the range of 18+ with no above age limit);

• Have citizenship or a residence permit (officially) in the country they represent;

• Be fully vaccinated.

We cannot accept ones who do not fall in all these categories.

Main Idea of the Project

Gamification is a method for self-motivation. It can inspire youth to find new ways of learning (learning to learn), to set up a personal mission and perform it. Game elements can help one become more competitive, raise productivity, take new initiatives and even to break bad habits. It can be applied to any learning

process - formal studies at the university, non-formal environment during youth projects, self-learning, at work. The key effect it has is that it brings joy and makes a process more interesting. Overall, the problems young people face in terms of their learning experience - lack of motivation, lack of joy, mainstream process, poor engagement, low concentration are meant to be solved by applying the above-mentioned methodologies.

Gamification stands for the application of game mechanics in a non-game context to promote desired behavior and drive learning outcomes. It includes thinking points, badges, leader-boards, feedback schemes, competition. In the case of game-based learning (GBL), we take a game and use it for learning. GBL is aimed at teaching a discrete skill or specific learning outcome, rather than being a complete pedagogical system. Here we have simulations, role-plays, forum theaters. Both concepts foster the creation of a non-formal environment and raise the level of engagement.

The project objectives are the following:

 To discuss the concepts of gamification and game-based learning;

 To identify the added value on participants of applying game-design elements to their daily lives, careers, and learning processes;

 To understand the differences between gamification and game-based learning;

 To share gamified tools & tools that help to gamify learning experiences;

 To get to know best-gamified practices and to experience their advantage over “traditional” learning experiences.

Relevance of the project for Erasmus + :

• -Improving the key competencies and skills of young people;

• -Including PAXs with fewer opportunities;

• -Promote participation and active citizenship in the European labor market;

• -Increasing learning mobility opportunities for young people active in youth work;

• -Enhanced cooperation

If you want to be part of the program, you must be a member of our organisation. If you are not a member you can do an application for membership here: https://www.acpelia.org/be-a-member

And for being part of the program continue with the application of participation in our program in this link: https://forms.gle/Z9dS6aet9CJEdP6v6