final conference on Erasmus + program tlit4u project in Sofia, Bulgaria,
on 13th May 2024!
Dear colleagues and participants,
It’s our pleasure to share photos from the final conference of our Erasmus + Program TLIT4U Project Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games and our international TLIT4U community. The final event took place on Monday 13th May at 10.00 AM at InterExpo Center, Tsarigradsko Schousse 147, floor 7, “Panorama” Auditory. After the conference, the team traveled to the town of Veliko Tarnovo and visited the Regional Library “P. R. Slaveykov” to exchange experiences and enjoy the beautiful cultural background of the city.
You can view the program of the event here.
The Final event and the TLTIT4U team’s visit to the Regional Library “P. R. Slaveykov” in Veliko Tarnovo was reflected by the Bulgarian local media Pro News Dobrich and Radio Veliko Tarnovo.
A Week-Long Training Event on Serious Games and Game-Based Learning in Parma, Italy, from April 18th to April 24th!
First workshop
Francesco Zanichelli and Marina Encheva welcomed the Bulgarian, Italian, and Finnish teams. Anna Maria Tammaro and María Joaquina Valero Gisbert from the Italian team talked about teaching and learning the inquiry process and presented a lesson plan example of integration with LEA (Learning in Academy). Elisaveta Tsvetkova and Polly Mukanova from the Bulgarian team showed how transliteracy skills are being improved through academic initiatives at ULSIT. Anna Maria Tammaro talked about transliteracy and STEAM learning. Vasil Zagorov and Gabriela Angelova, also from Bulgaria, presented the application of the STEAM approach in the Book History course in ULSIT. Marjaana Kangas from the Finnish team talked about the phenomenon-based learning transliteracy and then she and her colleague Mari Maasilta presented some games for teaching and learning. The members Marina Encheva, Gergana Yancheva, and Marchela Borisova shared insights on the games from ULSIT students. Susanna Del Carlo and Anna Maria Tammaro talked about students’ participatory approach to integrating serious games into learning. At the end of the workshop, the students were divided into groups and investigated specific skills needed in the inquiry process and then practiced a game on the specific transliteracy skills.
Second workshop
The group visited Museo Galileo in Florence and was guided by the museum staff and Anna Maria Tammaro.
Third workshop
Maria Grazia Suriano guided the group’s visit to Bologna. The Bulgarian team went to 16 tourist attractions:
Porta Galliera
Piazzetta della Pioggia
Via del Pratello
Fountain of Neptune
Piazza Maggiore
Palazzo Re Enzo and Palazzo del Podestà
Palazzo d’Accursio
Portico del Pavaglione and Archiginnasio
Via Farini, frescoed portico
The Towers
Palazzo della Mercanzia
Piazza Santo Stefano and the Seven Churches
Palazzo Isolani and portico with the 3 arrows in Strada Maggiore
Piazza Verdi
Via Zamboni
Via delle Moline and Finestrella di via Piella
Fourth workshop
Francesco Zanichelli led an interactive session with TWINE and Giulia Conti presented LEA for learning transliteracy with the help of TWINE. The students formed groups and discussed the presented tool after that, there was a discussion about the said tool and a guided visit to Parma.
Fifth workshop
The teams presented the evaluation of students, teachers, and librarians on the results from the Design thinking workshops in Bulgaria, Italy, and Finland. Marina Encheva and Plamena Zlatkova discussed the results from Bulgaria; Giulia Conti and Anna Maria Tammaro showed the results from Italy and Mari Maasilta – from Finland. Francesco Zanichelli explained the details of TLIT4U Games’ selection tool. Marjaana Kangas and Giulia Conti led a creative workshop to help students self-reflect by making ComiCubes. After Giulia Conti led another workshop based on board games.
TLIT4U – Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games
PROGRAM
transnational meeting in Finland, Rovaniemi, 26-28.02.2024
On 26-28.02.2024, members of the TLIT4U project joined a transnational meeting in Finland, Rovaniemi. The meeting’s agenda focused on the final tasks of the educational game development (LEA – Learning in the Academy). The concept behind LEA was successfully formed last year soon we will have the opportunity to play it for the first time. The participants have also discussed the feedback about the Game Selection Tool which was released a month ago and is now on our website. The team organized a brainstorming session to plan the Training event in Parma (18-24 April 2024) and the planning for the Final conference in Sofia.
TLIT4U – Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games
Multiplier Event in Milan, 05.02.2024
Can you build up your STEAM skills playing serious games?
The Erasmus + project TLIT4U – Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games means to do just that. Its objective is to spark off students’ skills in STEAM subjects through applied video games, otherwise known as serious games. Apart from their educational purpose, serious games are highly inviting platforms that propose immersive and interactive experiences to stimulate learning and make it fun. The project was set up to develop and implement innovative serious games designed to work on the transliteracy skills of young people and adults, therefore also countering the onslaught of fake news.
Among the project’s initiatives, we would like to highlight “Mettiti in Gioco! Transliteracy e strategie di gamification” (“Put yourself into Play! Transliteracy and Gamification Strategies”), held at the Cultural Centre and Library Pertini in Cinisello Balsamo (Milan) on the 5th of February 2024. The event was organised by Fondazione Politecnico di Milano and CSBNO – Culture Socialità Biblioteche Network Operativo (a library consortium, formerly Consorzio Sistema Bibliotecario Nord Ovest). Around 30 librarians tried out a device to select “transformative” games for education, the “TLIT4U GAME SELECTION TOOL”, and took part in a “game storm”, where they started from the theoretical basis of gamification and then became involved in how to design serious games tackling specific subjects.
We wanted to understand how these tools can help young people and adults develop new skills, so we asked Lucia Coletti, project leader for Fondazione Politecnico di Milano, to explain how these serious games work and what is their added value.
“We could also call serious games ‘transformative games’, as they ‘transform’ learning. People learn because it is fun and because they are strongly involved emotionally and intellectually. For game-based learning to work, teachers, or better facilitators, must know the games inside out, have a clear idea of the type of game they want to use, and think along the lines of fun and entertainment. At the same time, they should be clued up on the key elements of the subject being studied, and be strongly aware of the message they want to send to their target audience”.
For more information on the event follow this link.
TLIT4U – Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games
събитие за разпространение на резултатите от проект по програма Еразъм+ TLIT4U – “Подобряване на уменията, свързани с трансграмотност чрез сериозни игри” 15.01.2024
На 15.01.2024 г. в Американския център на Столична библиотека успешно беше проведено нашето събитие за разпространение на резултатите от проект по програма Еразъм+ TLIT4U – “Подобряване на уменията, свързани с трансграмотност чрез сериозни игри”. Координаторът на проекта доц. Марина Енчева представи резултатите на проекта с презентация на тема “STEAM модел за преподаване на дигитални умения”. В събитието се включи проф. Пламен Милтенов с интересна и актуална презентация на тема “Изкуственият интелект в образованието”. Като гост-лектор Емануил Славов представи приключенски градски игри и начини за ангажиране на обучаеми в подобен тип игри. Следобедната сесия премина в практически тестове на дигитални образователни игри по трансграмотност, специално подбрани от екипа на проекта. На събитието присъстваха преподаватели, студенти, библиотечни специалисти и гости.
TLIT4U – Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games
Multiplier Event in Parma, 29.01.2024
More than 60 attendees participated in the Multiplier Event held in Parma on January 29th. The event was dedicated to sharing insights from the TLT4Y project, exploring serious games, and emphasizing the importance of educational experimentation.
Fabrizio Storti, Deputy Rector of the University of Parma, highlighted the significance of the project for Parma and its partners. Marina Encheva, TLIT4U Project Coordinator, provided valuable insights into the project’s goals and achievements.
The event featured two outstanding keynote speakers: Jesus Lau from Universidad Veracruzana (Mexico) and UNESCO, who spoke on “Agraphia: Artificial Intelligence Versus Writing Skills,” and Plamen Miltenoff from the University of Minnesota (US) who presented “Immersive Learning in the Time of AI: The Information Specialist’s Perspective.”
During the afternoon session, attendees had the opportunity to preview and personalize the serious game developed by the project. The event fostered meaningful discussions and showcased the potential impact of innovative educational approaches in today’s dynamic learning landscape. The Project leader, Marina Encheva, opened the event with a video announcement.
You can access the program by following this link.
Featured Multiplier Event presentations:
TLIT4U – Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games
SECOND TRANSNATIONAL PROJECT MEETING in Milan. 06-07.11.2023
On 06-07 November 2023 in Milan part of the team of the TLIT4U Project participated in the second transitional project meeting. The presenting project members discussed the progress and future development of the educational products – the TLIT4U game and the Game Evaluation Tool. A significant part of the project goals is to keep in touch with each other’s activities and ideas. One of the most important tasks of the Second meeting was to schedule and organize the four Multiplier Events.
TLIT4U – Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games
Транграмотност и дигитална увереност. студентски brainstorming семинар. 18.02.2023
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TRANSLITERACY AND DIGITAL FLUENCY CURRICULUm. student brainstorming seminar. 18.02.2023
Българският екип на TLIT4U – „Обогатяване на знанията и подобряване на уменията за трансграмотност чрез образователни игри“ инициира съботен студентски семинар на тема „Трансграмотност и дигитална увереност“. Целта на събитието беше студентите да съставят учебна програма по трансграмотност чрез подхода Design Thinking. За целта те бяха запознати с основните стъпки в Design Thinking концепцията, с базовите понятия в теорията на трансграмотността, както и с уменията, присъщи на дигитално уверените хора. След увода в проблематиката, студентите получиха нужните материали, време и насоки за изпълнение на поставената задача. Участниците се разпределиха в три отбора с по един ментор. В кратък срок отборите успяха да съставят трите версии на учебна програма по трансграмотност и дигитална увереност, следвайки петте фази на Design Thinking подхода: съпреживяване, дефиниране, анализиране, конструиране и изпробване на прототипа. Екипите размениха учебните програми и ги подложиха на анализ и градивна критика по между си. Всеки тийм получи време да коригира и довърши прототипа си, след което представи финалния му вариант.
Работата със студенти е най-мотивиращият фактор за всеки университетски преподавател и затова се стремим да постигнем по-плавен, продуктивен и приятен процес на обучение. Прилагането на иновативни образователни подходи по време на занятията повишава креативността на преподавателя и студента, в резултат на което е налице по-ефективното усвояване на знания и умения.
Целта на този семинар бе да стимулираме студентите сами да изградят система и план, по който биха искали да се обучават в контекста на трансграмотността и дигиталните умения. Елементите на техните учебни програми ще се приложат при разработката на игрите по проект TLIT4U, както и в занятията със студенти занапред.
The Bulgarian team of the project “TLIT4U – Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games” organized a Saturday student seminar on “Transliteracy and Digital fluency”. The aim was for students to design a transliteracy curriculum by adopting the Design Thinking approach. They were introduced to the basic steps in the Design Thinking concept, the basic terms in transliteracy theories, and the skills associated with digitally fluent people. After the introduction, the students were given the necessary materials, time, and guidance to complete the set task. Participants were divided into three teams with one mentor each. In a short period, the teams composed three versions of curriculums on transliteracy and digital fluency, following the five phases of the Design Thinking approach: empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing. The teams exchanged their curriculums and put them through analysis and constructive critique. After a reflection session, they were given time to proofread, finalize their prototype and present the final version.
Working with students is the most motivating factor for any university lecturer, and because of that, we strive to make the learning process smoother, more productive, and enjoyable. Applying innovative educational approaches during classes enhances the creativity of the lecturer and the student, resulting in more effective absorption of knowledge and skills.
The seminar stimulated the students to design a plan on how they would like to learn in the context of transliteracy and digital skills. Elements of their curricula will be applied in the TLIT4U project games and in future classes with students.
TLIT4U – Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games
C2: Didactic Materials for Game-Based Learning
26.02-04.03/2023
Rovaniemi, Finland
Training Action #2
Rovaniemi
Day #1
The second TLIT4U training action was hosted by our Finnish project partners and took place at the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi. The Bulgarian and the Italian teams actively participated in the training by presenting, exchanging, and developing their ideas related to the project. Training action #2 purpose was to upgrade the learning experience we had with our colleagues in Milano by creating and collecting diverse didactic materials and practices.
On the first day Marina Encheva, Mari Maaslita, and Marjaana Kangas held a welcome introduction to our further activities at the University. The team had a warming ice-breaking session organized by Giulia Conti. The afternoon was dedicated to the #Playfulness Workshop With A Flavor Of Arctic Literacy (Indoors And Outdoors) organized by Katriina Heljakka and Marjaana Kangas. At this workshop, the teams engaged with the playfulness learning approaches and their application in solving different environmental problems of the Arctic regions. The teams went through various workshop tasks which required hands-on activities.
Day #2
The next day Veselin Chantov and Yasena Chantova held a training on how to “How To Introduce Characters Into The Game Via Narratives”. After their presentation on the successful patterns when building a scenario, the teams had a game jam and created their own ideas. After the training followed a 3D printing workshop where the project members designed their own objects. On the second day, the group visited Science Centre Pilke and had an interactive workshop on sustainable environmental practices in Finland.
Day #3
The third day of the TLIT4U event included six learning sessions. Anna Maria Tammaro, Giulia Conti, and María J. Valero Gisbert presented their design thinking approaches toward students in UNIPR. Vasil Zagorov introduced the experience and the results from the Transliteracy and Digital Fluency Curriculum Via Design Thinking event at ULSIT. Mari Maasilta gave us an interesting learning on gamified methods of FactChecking Teaching used at Lappland University. Daniela Monaco, Francesca Brambilla, and Lucia Coletti from FPM presented the existing so far transliteracy games. Gergana Yancheva (ULSIT) introduced her original ideas for library games. Marina Encheva (ULSIT) held the last workshop of the day. “Working Together For The TLIT4U Game Development” workshop focused on building a sustainable game prototype for the project’s purposes.
Day #4
On Thursday Marjaana Kangas (ULAPLAND) presented her scientific views and research on Game Pedagogies; Insights From The Research. Her fascinating introduction was followed by Marchela Borisova and Gabriela Angelova’s (ULSIT) presentation on digital literacy practices at Sofia Public Library and the library’s experience on the Lithuanian project “Dungeons and Librarians: the Quest for Gamified Reading”. Susanna Del Carlo and Maria Grazia Suriano (UNIPR) presented another practical know-how from the Central Library of Science and Technology, University of Parma, Italy. Anitta Örn and Annamari Pudas (ULAPLAND) made an interesting highlight their experience in applying the gamification method when teaching students about different literacies. Kati Vuontisjärvi (ULAPLAND) presented the Lapland University Consortium Library and its information literacy teaching. The team visited the Rovaniemi municipal library and had the chance to peek at almost every department and see the positive influence of the library on people of any age.
Day #5
The last day of our week in Lappland was focused on finishing touches on our game prototypes, followed by a reflection session on the ready scenarios. The three teams gave their games a purpose, background, typology, and background. Their ideas will be used for the further development of the project TLIT4U. Marina Encheva held a final speech and summarized the activities over the past week. After that, the team had an unforgettable playful visit to the Santa Claus Village where they met Santa himself.
TLIT4U – Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games
“Transliteracy and STEM”
Milan 29-30.09.2022
Training Action #1
Milan
Day #1
The first TLIT4U Training Action took place at the Fondazione Politecnico di Milano on the 29th and 30th of September, 2022. The Bulgarian and Finnish partners of the TLIT4U Project joined the event prepared by the partners from Italy as trainees. The aim of TrainingAction #1 was to improve the competencies of the participants on different aspects related to #Gamification and #STEM approach in education. On the first day, the trainer Matteo Uggeri introduced the participants to the fundamentals of Gamification and the role of the gamification process when teaching. At the #GameStorm workshop on the first day, the team of TLIT4U had the opportunity to create an educational game scenario on specific topics.
Day #2
The topic of the second day was the innovative educational approach to STEM. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The method aims to teach these studies coherently and synchronized. This type of teaching and learning has recently been shown to be especially beneficial. Our lectors have decided to enrich it by adding Art to the method. So STEAM it is. Why STEAM explained to us the lectors of the second training – Marina Di Foggia, Andrea Catalani, Cristiana Angelini, and Cora Gasparotti. In the workshop, the project team had a Virtual Reality (VR) experience. The lectors shared new ideas for using VR in education in different disciplines.
TLIT4U – Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games
Digital fluency workshop in ITaly
Digital Fluency Workshop with lector prof. Plamen Miltenoff in Italy on April 27
The student seminar will focus on the knowledge and skills needed in the 21st century and the knowledge necessary to continue to be adaptable to the “smart” world around us, which is increasingly entering our daily lives. Concepts such as digital confidence/freedom, information, and media literacy, organizational and technological skills, etc will be discussed. The basic skills related to communication and collaborative work, creation of digital content, security of information, and solving problems that correspond to the views on transliteracy will also be discussed.
For more information in Italian see the invitation below.
We will expect you online on 27.04.2022 at 16:00 o’clock on this link: Enter the Seminar here.
Prof. Plamen Miltenoff
EMAIL: pmiltenoff@stcloudstate.edu
Prof. Miltenoff, information specialist, researcher, and instructor work at St. Cloud State, Minnesota, USA. His graduate degrees in library and information science, history, and pedagogy and educational leadership reflect his interests in social media for institutional use, web development and multimedia, gaming, and gamification etc.
TLIT4U – Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games
Digital fluency workshop in Bulgaria
Новите технологии са движещият фактор за развитие на иновации във всички сфери на ежедневния и професионален живот. Те изискват непрекъснатото усвояване на нови умения, които да бъдат прилагани на теоретично и на практическо ниво. Активното ни участие в процесите на учене през целия живот са единствената гаранция да продължим да бъдем приспособими и конкуретноспособни в условията на постоянни промени.
Водещият семинара за студенти ще се фокусира върху знанията и уменията необходими в 21 век; знания необходими да продължаваме да бъдем приспособими към заобикалящия ни „умен“ свят, който все повече навлиза в нашето ежедневие. Ще бъдат дискутирани понятия като дигитална увереност/свобода, информационна и медийна грамотност, организационни и технологични умения и др. Ще се дискутират и базовите умения свързани с комуникация и работа в сътрудничество, създаване на дигитално съдържание, сигурност на информацията, решаване на проблеми, които кореспондират с възгледите за трансграмотност.
Семинарът ще се проведе в три държави: България, Италия и Финландия.
Ще ви очакваме на 24.03.2022 г. онлайн в 15,00 часа тук:
//us02web.zoom.us/j/7256871178?pwd=UHY1K2hQTDQ2bC9LY2JEdTUyRmUvZz0.
Пламен Милтенов, гост-професор
EMAIL: pmiltenoff@stcloudstate.edu
Проф. П. Милтенов е преподавател, изследовател и информационен специалист в Университета Сейнт Клауд, Минесота (САЩ). Завършил е специалностите „История“, „Библиотечно-информационни науки“ и „Педагогика“. Неговите професионални интереси са свързани със социални медии, мултимедия, проектиране и създаване на уеб съдържание, образователни игри и геймификация на учебния процес, виртуална, разширена и добавена реалност, информационна и дигитална грамотност и др.
TLIT4U – Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games
Digital fluency workshop in Finland
The fast development of new technologies is the main catalyst for innovations in all spheres of everyday and professional life. They require us to gain new skills to stay relevant and up-to-date. Our active participation in lifelong learning processes is the only guarantee that we will continue to be adaptable and competitive in the face of constant change.
The student seminar facilitator will focus on the knowledge and skills needed in the 21st century and the knowledge necessary to continue to be adaptable to the “smart” world around us, which is increasingly entering our daily lives. Concepts such as digital confidence/freedom, information, and media literacy, organizational and technological skills, etc will be discussed. The basic skills related to communication and collaborative work, creation of digital content, security of information, and solving problems that correspond to the views on transliteracy will also be discussed.
For more information in Finnish see the invitation below.
We expect you online on 06.04.2022 at 10-13 o’clock on this link: Enter the Seminar here.
Prof. Plamen Miltenoff
EMAIL: pmiltenoff@stcloudstate.edu
Prof. Miltenoff, information specialist, researcher, and instructor work at St. Cloud State, Minnesota, USA. His graduate degrees in library and information science, history, pedagogy, and educational leadership reflect his interests in social media for institutional use, web development, multimedia, gaming, gamification, etc.
TLIT4U – Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games