Serious Games to improve Social Competences and Creativity in students at risk of social exclusion (Andy Burton, Steven Battersby, Nicholas Shopland and David Brown) Interactive Technologies and Games (ITAG) Conference 2015 Health, Disability and EducationDates: Thursday 22 October 2015 - Friday 23 October 2015 Location: The Council House, NG1 2DT

1. Serious Games for Social Competences and
Creativity – Findings of the Pilot tests
Andy Burton, Steven Battersby, Nick Shopland, David Brown
Interactive Technology and Games (ITAG) Conference
22nd October 2015

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About SGSCC
Serious Games for Social Competences and Creativity:
LLP 30 Month Project
•Dedicated to conceptualisation and development of social
competence in:
– Adult education
– School curricula
– Professional development
•Targets: People with disabilities (mild learning) & disadvantaged
group
•Impact: increased employability & social integration of beneficiaries

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SGSCC Outcomes
SGSCC delivered following outcomes:
•Training Curriculum,
•Handbook
•Supporting Exercises for Trainers (250 pages!)
•Mobile game for trainees
•Desktop game for trainees
•Content themes – Communication, Self esteem, Self control,
Cooperation, Conflict resolution, Assertiveness, Creativity

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Mobile Game - Inca’s Quest
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.com.incasquest
3 Mini-Games:
•Match the pairs of facial expressions (Recognising emotions)
•Spot the positive statements (Self Esteem)
•Points of view (Cooperation/conflict resolution)

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Desktop Game – Inca Island
http://software.isrg.org.uk/SGSCC/Inca_Island.zip
6 Paths:
•Communication
•Self esteem
•Self control
•Cooperation
•Conflict resolution
•Assertiveness

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Piloting in 7 Countries
• Piloted in 7 countries (January – June 2015)
• Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Serbia, Turkey, UK
• Target groups: moderate to severe learning difficulties.
Partners
• Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski” (Bulgaria)
• Social Innovative Network (Austria)
• PhoenixKM BVBA (Belgium)
• VSI Hi.Te.Co. – High Technology for Cooperation (Lithuania)
• Nottingham Trent University (UK)
• İstanbul Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü (Turkey)
• Belgrade Open School (Beogradska otvorena škola) (Serbia)
• INTERPROJECTS (Bulgaria)

7. Pilot Participants were recruited from various
organisations
• 304 Trainees from Institutes, special education schools, end user
organizations, secondary schools, Sheltered homes, VET schools
• 70% trainees with disabilities
• 30% trainees from other disadvantaged groups
• Extremely diverse pilots. Adapted according to the needs of the
participants. Training differed in:
– Numbers
– Levels and types of disability
– Training setting
– Session lengths
– Numbers of sessions
– Language
• 67 Trainers from SEN education involved
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8. Pilot Approach (where possible)
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BEFORE THE START OF THE
TRAINING PACKAGE
DURING THE TRAINING - AFTER
EACH SESSION
AFTER THE END OF THE
TRAINING PACKAGE
Trainees:
self-assessment of social
competence and
background questionnaire
Trainers:
evaluation the social
competence of each
participant
Evaluation
of training
workshop /
exercises
Usability
of games
Questionnaire For Self-
assessment Of Social
Competence (Trainees)
Questionnaire For Evaluation
Of Social Competence For
Each Participant (Trainers)
Questionnaire For
Evaluation Of
Handbook/Training Materials
Case Study Report

9. Description of the training
• Bulgaria – weekly sessions from January to June 2015
• Serbia – two-weekly sessions from January to June 2015
• Austria – 8 dedicated sessions
• Belgium – 14 (two-weekly) sessions
• UK – 5 dedicated sessions in June 2015
• Turkey – weekly session from January 2015 - June 2015
• Lithuania – monthly sessions from January 2015 - June 2015
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10. Results of evaluation of social competences before and after
the training *only possible at certain sites
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Belgium Lithuania
Serbia Turkey

11. Self-assessment of social competences before and
after the training –Findings
Participants have observed a change after the training:
•62.1% - feel more able to initiate conversation
•53% - more able to calm down when they are angry or upset
•71.9% - more able to express feelings when they are wronged
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12. Evaluation of the Learning Materials
• The learning materials have proved to be useful for work with target
group, as evident by the high average mark 4.35 out of 5 and
highly positive feedback during sessions on which the handbook was
used.
• Assessed as clear and comprehensible, engaging and useful for the
development of social competences and creativity
• Trainers state that more varied difficulty level of exercises would be
useful – currently there are three levels
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13. Feedback from the Workshops
• Trainers reported that the participants have been immensely
interested throughout workshops; the exercises were generally
assessed as useful and moderately hard
• Reported high engagement of the participants as well as good
retention of the material
• The majority of the participants liked the exercises and reported
that they had learned something useful
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14. Initial Feedback – Desktop Games
+ Positives
•High engagement by participants
•Games were engaging and immersive
•Considerable liking of the realistic situations display
•“I’m really playing a real computer game”
- Negatives
•Some aspects require considerable ICT and cognitive skills
•Some participants have found the game hard and playing the game
tiring
•Mainly of interest of trainees with mild learning difficulties/ASD
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15. Feedback – Mobile Games
+ Positives
•High engagement by participants
•Three games were liked as there was a very close linkage with the
training exercises
•Even trainees with severe learning difficulties were able to complete
most games/levels
•“The game allows me correct my mistakes”
- Negatives
•Requires smart phone (tablet) and for some functionalities internet
connection
•The “point of view game” is for some trainees too abstract to grasp
the meaning
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16. Lessons learned
• Trainer attitude and preparation important aspect in successful
delivery.
• Individual user needs of the learners must be considered. Divers
nature means
• SYNERGIES created between the printed training materials, the
mobile game, the desktop game and the illustrated handbook or
between other useful materials (like videos, cartoons, stories, own
prepared materials) can create a powerful engaging training
solution.
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17. Case Study (Serbia)
Background:
•16YO Male
•In out-of-home residential care
system
•Brother with Intellectual
Disability
•Financially deprived background
Status before:
•At risk of failing 7 subjects
and failing 1st grade
•Difficulties with social
interaction
•Prone to angry
outbursts/quarrels with
teachers
•Introverted with peers
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Training:
•Attended 7 workshops covering all 6 SCs and creativity…
listening, accepting yourself, following rules, strategies of self-
control, conflict-resolution strategies, understanding the
difference between assertive and non-assertive reactions and
creating a story
•The trainee enjoyed workshops immensely, was highly
engaged when he was playing computer game “Inca Island”.
•The teachers noted that the students were visibly looking
forward to the workshops.
Following training:
•Behaviour improved
•Marks improved – no longer at risk of failing
•Teacher observed more relaxed social interactions
•Aggressive outbursts reduced (using counting strategy)
•Actively seeks peer interaction/company

18. Download them!
• Optimised training material, exercises and games to reflect the
feedback received
• Released the final version of the training material and games in July
2015 – downloadable from the project web site and Google Play
• http://games4competence.eu/download/
– http://games4competence.eu/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/SGSCC-
rakovodstvo+prilojenie-EN.pdf
– http://software.isrg.org.uk/SGSCC/Inca_Island.zip
– https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.com.incasquest
• Full pilot results and more case studies also available there.
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19. • Thank you for your attention
With special thanks to BOS and all the other SGSCC partners.
The SGSCC (Serious Games for Social & Creativity Competencies – 531134-LLP-1-2012-1-BG-KA3-KA3MP) project has
been partially funded under the Lifelong Learning program. This web site reflects the views only of the author(s), and
the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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