Massimiliano Andreoletti Videogames Simulation univ. católica de milão

Initiative GREAT European Development Partners Co-organization
Videogames Simulation
Promoting mediation using video games:
an educators’ training program in Sicily
Massimiliano ANDREOLETTI
Anna RAGOSTA

(S)IMaging your CITY
media, social mediation,
citizenship
promoting mediation using video games
Prof. Massimiliano Andreoletti, Ph. D.
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Milano - Italia
an educators’ training program in Sicily

Promoting mediation using video games
GREAT Lx Conference
Lisbon - 16th september 2013
Syllabus
CONTEXTUALIZATION
METHODOLOGY
POTENTIALITY
DESIGNING
QUESTIONS

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A quick look over
“Mediation” project
an educator’s training
project in Sicily

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Mediation Project - General level
PLACE
Sicily and the province ofTrapani
SITUATION
border area and point of arrival of the migratory flows
BACKGROUND
this area has always been a place where people of different
culture and race can meet, dialog and discuss among
themselves

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STRUTTURA
• APQ (Program Framework Agreement)
• Young People. Protagonists of themselves & of the territory
OBJECTIVES
• create a bridge between the young people of the territory
and migrants
• structure moments of encounter in which, through the
narrative method, start paths of knowledge
AIM
promote the culture of acceptance and multiculturalism
among young people ofTrapani

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ACTIVITIES
• structure moments of encounter in which start paths of
knowledge through the narrative methods
• using ICT to create, gather and share the stories
TARGET
• young people between 14 and 30 years
• inhabitants in poor neighborhoods characterized by socio-
economic disadvantage and/or residing in geographically
disadvantaged areas

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TARGET
limited number (max 20) of educators involved in social work
OBJECTIVES (related to the general project)
• to experience a training active model
• approach them to digital storytelling methods
• improve their use of the media and technology
OBJECTIVES (related to video games training part)
• give the first basic elements to use video game in
educational activities
• to experience a training program with video games
• suppose a training program based on video games
Mediation Project -VG educators training

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TIMING
23 hours practical and playful activity in December 2011
METHODOLOGY
• Pfeiffer & Jones’ “Experiential learning” cycle
RESOURCES (human & technology)
• a media educator skilled in use of video games in education
• a city builder simulation video games (EA SimCity 4)
• digital cameras and digital video cameras
STRUCTURE
• Andreoletti & Ragosta’s “S’IMpara con i videogiochi” project
Mediation Project -VG educators training

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Why using an
experiential learning
cycle?

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VG educators training - Methodology
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CYCLE’S STRUCTURE
analysisgeneralization
experience
communicationapplication
problem
(Pfeiffer and Jones, 2000)

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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CYCLE’S CHARACTERISTICS
• reflect on own experience and behaviors
• deal with situations of uncertainty by developing adaptive
behaviors and improving
• develop their skills of problem solving
• acquire self-confidence through self- and hetero-
observation
VG educators training - Methodology

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Why using a simulation
video game?

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THE POTENTIALITY OF SIMULATION GAMES
The simulations are «the central engine of our mind, since
they enable us to have a general and local, dynamic and
flexible representation of the various aspects of external and
internal reality».
(Anolli and Mantovani, 2011)
VG educators training - Why a simulationVG?

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Cognitive processes of the world (external reality):
1. the simulation allows to know the world
2. it is meant as an environment in which one can (re)build
the world with different degrees of resolution
3. it plays a fundamental role in the context of creativity

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The ability to reflect on one’s own work and imagine one’s
own future (internal reality).
«the knowledge of the past and the future, either near or far,
is always mixed with the knowledge of the present”»

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The ability to reflect on one’s own work and imagine one’s
own future (internal reality).
The possibility of visualizing through a game a future different
from the one envisaged in these contexts allows the involved
people to represent various forms of their selves.
(Oyserman and James, 2009)

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These forms are “possible selves”.
The use of the simulation video games may strongly support
the entire educational action, since «the expectation and the
planning of the future of themselves tend to improve the
wellbeing of present life».
(Klein and Zajac, 2009)

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The role of simulation video games achieves important effects
also on present daily action, especially when they «provide
detailed images connected with strategies that bind the
present situation with future states».

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How design a training
project with a
simulation video game?

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S’IMPARA CON IVIDEOGIOCHI’S STRUCTURE
• the original project was restructured and organized on the
basis of the needs of the reality on which it was worked and
divided into two main phases:
1. analyzing and rebuilding your own city: (video)playing
with reality
2. rethinking your own city: (video)playing with fantasy
VG educators training - Project

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S’IMPARA CON IVIDEOGIOCHI’S STRUCTURE
1. analyzing and rebuilding your own city:
the objective is to give participants a global and structured
vision of their surrounding environment and to start a
reflection on their live in the present.
VG educators training - Project
2. rethinking your own city:
the game is a space in which participants are be able to
express dreams, desires, and aspirations: it’s the personal
rethinking of the real city by inserting what they would like
to be there and removing what they would not want to.

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S’IMPARA CON IVIDEOGIOCHI’S PRODUCTS
during the activities all the participants were invited to:
VG educators training - Structure
• create many products using different kind of media
(experience phase):
• simulated cities with video game (SimCity)
• videos or photos telling their surroundings
• videos showing/promoting their simulated cities

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S’IMPARA CON IVIDEOGIOCHI’S PRODUCTS
during the activities all the participants were invited to:
VG educators training - Structure
• share in groups (communication and analysis phase):
• show their simulated cities trough maps printed from
the game telling cities’ evolution
• how they have felt during playing activities
• what ideas have guided the creation of their simulated
cities
• agreement between simulated cities and their ideals and
wishes
• difficulties/problems (technical, ethical, economical, etc.)
interfering with the realization of the cities

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What problems may
arise from the use of
simulation video games
with trainers?

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PROJECT’S QUESTIONS (TRAINERS’ POINT OFVIEW)
what problems can arise to use video games :
VG educators training - Issues
• design/manage a training program with video games
• difficulty in justifying a training project with video games
• limited availability of time to fully carry out the playing
activities (whole playing activity and single game)
• need for the supervision of an expert (trainers have
realized that is not enough just to play)

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what problems can arise to use video games :
• design/manage a training program with video games
• lack of knowledge of the video games’ industry and
market
• difficult to find, evaluate, select the most suitable video
games
• lack of knowledge of training techniques based on playing
activities

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what problems can arise to use video games in training:
• govern the outcome of a simulation games-based activity
• fear of not being able to manage the outcomes of playing
activities
• uncertainty on the outcomes that the playing activity
brings
• inability to interpret the results (on an emotional,
relational, cognitive level) of the video games activity

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Massimiliano Andreoletti, Ph. D.
Dipartimento di Pedagogia
MED. Associazione italiana per l'educazione ai media
mail massimiliano.andreoletti@unicatt.it
linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/massimilianoandreoletti
Anna Ragosta,
MED.Associazione italiana per l'educazione ai media
mail anna.ragosta@unicatt.it
linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/annaragosta
Contacts

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Associated Partners
Media Partners
Sponsors
GREAT European Development Partners
Institutional Partners

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http://www.projectgreat.eu

Massimiliano Andreoletti Videogames Simulation univ. católica de milão

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