Introduction
Games to promote specific learning content and interdisciplinary skills are part of the pedagogical concept of the EduSpace Lernwerkstatt at the Faculty of Education of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. This article is part of a larger study on the application of the board game called "The next generation of Change Maker" (NGoCM) with fourth grade students at an upper secondary school in South Tyrol. The explorative research questions in this presentation inquire on: 1) the students’ entrepreneurial learning; 2) of this learning, what can be generalised to other contexts in a lifelong learning perspective: school life, future work, private life.
Literature Review
In Italy, entrepreneurship is understood as a key competence for lifelong learning (European Commission, 2019). The TRIO model (Lidner, 2018) suggests entrepreneurship as civic education at the level of compulsory education. An active pedagogy is necessary to put the students at the centre of the learning process. In a review Panigua and Instance (2018) find 6 clusters, one of which is gamification. This term includes the educational kernel of gaming with the pros of using playful settings to develop well-being and engagement. One of the challenges of this pedagogy, however, is how to integrate this pedagogy into regular teaching and transfer learning occurred during the game.
Methodology
This study deploys the case study methodology, with a in depth study of a small unit contextualised in time and space (Yin, 2009). The game was applied at the beginning of February 2023 in 4 Grade 4 classes with 86 German speaking students at a VET school in South Tirol. In each class, a researcher was present to introduce the game and assist the students. The game has four phases: at the beginning the students form groups of 4-5 components and take specific roles. They subsequently choose the mission; they then brainstorm and consider diverse perspectives, and eventually pitch their idea to the rest of the class. This process lasted three hours, subsequently the students filled in an online questionnaire with open-ended questions on group work and on the entrepreneurial idea.
Results and tentative conclusions
Preliminary results suggest that students learnt most groupwork, although it was difficult for them to rate their degree of participation in the game. It was also difficult to reflect on what they learnt during the game (with answers like “nothing”, sometimes “everything”). Other answers suggest that students learnt to present, to work on innovative ideas, and think sustainable. For some the game was a good way to break the monotony of the curricular lesson. In a scale from 1 to 5, learners rated their appreciation of the game 4, probably because while they liked the part of the table game, they sometimes disliked holding a presentation in front of the class. It can be hence tentatively concluded that this game represents a very first step so to acquaint students with sustainable entrepreneurship.

ntroduction

Games to promote specific learning content and interdisciplinary skills are part of the pedagogical concept of the EduSpace Lernwerkstatt at the Faculty of Education of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. This article is part of a larger study on the application of the board game called "The next generation of Change Maker" (NGoCM) with fourth grade students at an upper secondary school in South Tyrol. The explorative research question focuses on the learners' perceived experiences of participatory practices in the context of collaborative activities whilst gaming.

Literature Review

Playful experiences are driven by self-motivation and interest (see Lester & Russell, 2008; Dewar, 2014; Paniagua & Istance, 2018) and thus draw parallels with the characteristics of a learning process from a constructivist perspective. In this viewpoint, learning takes place as an active (1), self-directed (2), constructive (3), situated (4), emotional (5) and social (6) process (Reinmann-Rothmeier & Mandl, 2006, p. 638). Considering the prerequisites of learning processes as well as the advantages and challenges of collaborative learning Austrian scientists developed a board game (Lindner, 2020) addressed to basic personal and social issues of responsibility and autonomy to foster a culture of solidarity in our society. Amidst the backdrop of the board game's objective, this study can be linked to the discourse on the eight key competencies for lifelong learning (European Commission, 2019) or the 4K model of learning (P21, 2019).

Methodology

The game was applied at the beginning of February 2023 to 86 German-speaking students at an upper secondary school. By demonstrating the structure of the game, its 4 stages covering 23 milestones, the gaming cards with questions and tasks that guide players systematically to the pitch of their innovation. Firstly, the learners were asked to form groups of four. Then they were asked to elect specific roles and fulfil it in accordance with both the role description as well as the needs of collaboratively improvement. The game ended with pitching the idea. In a final step the students reflected on their experiences filling in an online questionnaire on the quality of group work and on different levels of democratic interaction according Mayrberger (2012)

Results and conclusions

Learners in all classes agree that the second and third phases of the game (Idea Generation and Entrepreneurial Design) provide the greatest opportunity for participation. Statements such as "it takes a lot of patience because everyone has a different opinion on the subject" or "if you want to achieve something then you have to take the matter seriously so that you can achieve a result" illustrate the individual learning experiences. A role-specific analysis shows that learners in the role of Chief Process Officer, followed by Chief Executive Officer, consistently rate participation opportunities higher compared to learners in the role of Chief Documentation Officer and Chief Happiness Officer. It can tentatively be concluded that this game is an appropriate method empowering students to better manage the opportunities and limitations of group work.

Daily use of Internet and social media as essential tools for both leisure and work can entail various dysfunctional aspects and potential dangers to our social and psychological well-being. Various schools of thought, including Media Education, New Media Education, Social Media Literacy and many others, have developed paradigms that focus on essential skills needed to navigate the digital world consciously, and protect us from its pitfalls. These constructs highlight skills such as cognitive, affective, and technical abilities, in conjunction with critical thinking, analytical skills, and creativity. Surprisingly, none of them places emphasis on the importance of spending time in equally productive real-world activities, fundamental to reach these skill levels. Not to mention the Social Media Addiction, risk associated with an excessive, incorrect, and uncontrolled use of social networking sites. Along with this, there are other dysfunctional sociopsychological elements that lead to detrimental effects on mental health, such as the fear of missing out (FOMO), increased feelings of isolation, heightened anxiety or depression, aggressive conducts, and a potential decline in overall well-being.

Given this framework, the field of game design offers a unique avenue for instigating social change, cultivating an inclusive, democratic, and socially conscious educational environment, seeking to nurture positive societal transformation. By recognizing that being exposed, especially at a young age, to aptly designed gaming activities is a way to address the pervasive issue of social media addiction, we also develop and promote a more creative and alternative relationship with the digital world, which can therefore instill awareness as well as prevent and reduce the risks mentioned. The overarching goal is to enhance individuals' understanding of complex systems, elevate real-life interactions, facilitate the communication of ideas in a dynamic and engaging manner, which promote social justice and stimulates the strengthening of the democratic model.

Game Design for Social Change provides a platform for users to actively shape and contribute to develop their own understanding of digital systems, learning to navigate them consciously and responsibly, and at the same time becomes a tool for enhancing real-life interactions. Through this approach, individuals are encouraged to a paradigm shift in how to engage with the digital world. By leveraging the power of game design for social change, the aim is to create an educational system that not only counters social media addiction, but also cultivates a generation of individuals equipped with the life skills needed to navigate the complexities of the modern world and contribute positively to a more just society.

Introduction

Games to promote specific learning content and interdisciplinary skills are part of the pedagogical concept of the EduSpace Lernwerkstatt at the Faculty of Education of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. This article is part of a larger study on the application of the board game called "The next generation of Change Maker" (NGoCM) with fourth grade students at an upper secondary school in South Tyrol. Within a phenomenological theoretical framework, the research question of this contribution is to explore the learners’ experiences facilitated by gaming in a school context.

Literature Review

Panigua and Instance (2018) emphasize that playful experiences must be seen as potential learning experiences that are driven by self-motivation and interest. In this sense, it would be important to make game mechanics support learning. If pedagogy is seen as at the core of teaching and learning (ibid.), why not bring a pedagogical understanding of learning into play? After all, if learning is understood in the phenomenological tradition of educational sciences as an experience (Meyer-Drawe, 2012) in which a learner responds to a foreign claim (Waldenfels, 2011), then the students’ experiences become visible, perceptible, and can be scrutinized for educational potential.

Methodology

The data used for this paper was collected using the phenomenological vignette (Schratz et al., 2012), which is theoretically based on Husserl's (1983) descriptive phenomenology and Merlau-Ponty's (1962) phenomenology of the body. The vignette is a qualitative research tool that has proven effective in exploring and making student´s experiences visible by capturing moments of experience in short written narratives. As dense descriptions (Schratz et al., 2012), vignettes go beyond what is said and make the lived atmosphere tangible by focusing on the bodily articulations. The linguistic fixation of the co-experiential experiences enables a reflexive approach to the experience and thus its analysis, for example through a so-called vignette reading (Schratz et al.) as planned in this contribution.

Results and conclusions

The vignettes and their reading, with the underlying understanding of learning, shift the focus away from learning outcomes, such as the competences acquired, and make the learning experiences that students have during the game visible. This reveals educational spaces that arise first and foremost through learning that goes beyond what was planned or intended to be learnt. The students' engagement, as shown in the vignettes, is not due to their own initiative but rather the expression of their connection and involvement with the world. As learners respond to the world's claims, they become part of a responsive educational process, in which the learner gains a new understanding of him-/herself, of those involved in the experience and of the world.

Ludo teaching entails a methodology of learning and instruction wherein board and role-playing games serve as tools for fostering personal, relational, social, and cognitive-disciplinary skills throughout one's lifelong learning journey.

In Ludo Teaching, the utilization of board game mechanics and role-playing games extends beyond mere entertainment, serving as pivotal components in educational contexts. Drawing upon well-established theories of Game-Based Learning, games stand out as potent instruments in educators' arsenals, offering effective avenues for skill development and content delivery. Indeed, in this era often characterized as the 'playful century,' games represent both a widespread and influential medium.

Within scholastic and educational settings, structured play and gaming exhibit varying degrees of efficacy, primarily contingent upon the comprehensive planning and management of instructional units. This entails selecting the most appropriate game to align with teaching objectives, providing adequate introduction and preparation, implementing precise methodologies for activity facilitation, and incorporating structured debriefing sessions. The value of the playful learning experience, akin to a laboratory activity, centers on the principles of experiential learning, where students engage in meaningful decision-making and evaluate the outcomes of their actions.

Moreover, the mechanics of games directly intersect with the learning process, demanding the ability to modify and adapt them—a crucial aspect of effective teaching.