Information about pilot testings for all countries
Bulgaria
Organizer: WalkTogether Bulgaria
Date & Time: October 10th, 2023, 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM Participants: 26 Introduction In Bansko, Bulgaria, WalkTogether
Bulgaria led a pilot testing event on October 10th with 26 participants. The event commenced with an initial survey followed by activities divided into three groups, each engaging with a specific game. Despite initial technical hiccups, the testing progressed smoothly. Post-game, participants provided immediate feedback, followed by a group discussion where experiences, preferences, and obstacles were shared.
Participant Insights
The average age of participants was 22.8, with a mix of rural (8) and urban (18) backgrounds. Many lacked prior formal knowledge on key topics like Democracy, EU heritage, EU values, Human Rights, Active Citizenship, and the European Union. Most participants acknowledged facing obstacles, primarily social in nature.
Baseline Survey Analysis
The initial survey revealed moderate knowledge levels across themes related to democracy, EU heritage, EU values, human rights, and active citizenship. Participants’ skill assessments indicated room for growth, with decision-making skills rated highest and time management skills needing improvement. Attitudes toward concepts such as democracy, EU diversity, and freedom varied, emphasizing the need for education and awareness campaigns.
Feedback from Game Testing
Participants provided valuable feedback post-game. The games were rated moderately challenging, visually appealing, and content-rich. Notably, participants reported improvements in knowledge, skills (particularly in critical thinking and time management), and attitudes towards democracy, human rights, and equality after engaging with the games.
Conclusion
The pilot testing event surpassed expectations, demonstrating participants’ active engagement and interest in the educational games. The organization was seamless, ensuring a satisfying experience for all involved. Analysis of both the baseline and feedback surveys highlighted the effectiveness of the educational approach, showing significant improvements in knowledge, skills, and attitudes after engaging with the games. These findings underscore the potential of innovative educational tools in fostering active citizenship and awareness.
Croatia
Organizer: Kalimera, obrt za usluge (co-organized by Jedna Mladost youth association)
Place: Razred Doma Mladih, Ulica slobode 28, 21000 Split
Date & Time: October 14th, 2023, 12:00 CET
Participants: 12
The pilot testing, hosted at the Home of Youth in Split by Kalimera in collaboration with Jedna Mladost, involved 12 young participants aged 14 to 17. Majority were members of Jedna Mladost association, with 2 individuals facing geographical obstacles. The event, part of E+ days 2023, was instrumental in assessing knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards citizenship topics among youth.
Pre-event surveys highlighted limited prior knowledge on citizenship education among participants. Knowledge levels varied across topics, with stronger familiarity in Human Rights and the European Union, and lower understanding in areas like Democracy and EU values. The assessment also pointed towards varying skill levels, with strengths in problem-solving and creativity but opportunities for improvement in time management.
Post-testing surveys, completed by 7 participants, showcased the usability and impact of educational escape rooms. Most found the games moderately challenging, appreciated the visual appeal, and positively rated the content. However, recommendations for the games varied, with some uncertainties expressed. The feedback also indicated minor technical issues during gameplay.
Comparisons between baseline and feedback surveys demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge, particularly in topics like Democracy and EU’s diverse heritage. Skill enhancement was notable in areas like critical thinking and creativity. Overall, attitudes towards citizenship-related subjects learned positively, although the willingness to explore further varied among participants. The pilot testing event and feedback survey reaffirmed the positive influence of educational escape rooms on youth. These insights guided the enhancements of the materials for a more effective and engaging learning experience on citizenship topics.
Estonia
Organizer name: Viimsi Youth Center
Place: Viimsi Youth Center
Date & time: 11th of October, 16.30 – 18.00
Number of participants: 17
It seems like the Viimsi Youth Center hosted a substantial pilot testing event focused on citizenship education and related topics. The gathering involved 17 participants, primarily between the ages of 11 and 26, with a particular focus on active citizenship, democracy, and EU values. The event was registered as part of Erasmus days 2023 and the ‘’Time to move’’ campaign.
The participants had varying levels of prior knowledge and experiences in citizenship education. The baseline survey indicated lower levels of knowledge in areas such as democracy, EU’s diverse social, cultural, and historical heritage, and European values. However, their knowledge on human rights was surprisingly high. Similarly, their skills in problem-solving, decision-making, and creativity were rated higher compared to time management and critical thinking.
Post the pilot testing event, participants’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes showed significant improvement across various topics. The games, especially the ‘Travel to democracy’ escape room, appeared to contribute notably to this positive shift, notably enhancing understanding and interest in democracy.
While the participants enjoyed the event and games, feedback highlighted concerns about technical issues with some escape rooms, especially compatibility problems with Android phones. Despite these challenges, the overall consensus was positive, emphasizing the effectiveness of online escape rooms in making learning enjoyable and game-oriented.
The event’s success is apparent, yet there’s room for improvement, especially in terms of visual elements in the games and technical compatibility across different devices. The participants’ feedback and the noticeable enhancement in their understanding and attitude towards citizenship topics indicate the event’s positive impact.
Spain
Organizer name: Asociación Europa 2020
Place: Puente Genil, Cordoba / Marmolejo, Jaén
Date & time: 14th October 2023 / 11th October 2023
Number of participants: 58
The Asociación Europa 2020 organized two substantial pilot testing events in Marmolejo, Jaén, and Puente Genil, Cordoba. The events were part of the E+ days 2023 and incorporated participants from youth exchanges. The sessions covered topics of active citizenship, democracy, and EU values.
The baseline survey highlighted that participants, predominantly from Spain, had varying levels of prior knowledge and experience related to citizenship education. The average knowledge across topics was moderate, with notable strengths in areas such as human rights while showing room for improvement in democracy, EU heritage, and values.
Skill assessments indicated strong capabilities in problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking, time management, and creativity among participants, showing promising proficiency across diverse skills essential in citizenship education.
Participants exhibited generally positive attitudes toward democracy, active citizenship, EU diversity, freedom, equality, the rule of law, and human rights. The majority expressed an interest in learning more about citizenship topics, emphasizing a willingness to engage further.
Post the escape room sessions, feedback from 28 participants suggested a mix of perceptions regarding the difficulty, visual appearance, and content of the games. While some found the games challenging, most were satisfied with the visual aspects but noted potential areas for improvement in the game content. A considerable number were inclined to recommend the games, indicating their positive reception among participants.
Compared to the baseline, the follow-up survey showed a mix of improvements and slight decreases in knowledge and skills. Despite the decrease in participation for the feedback survey, the trends indicated some positive shifts. Attitudes toward citizenship-related subjects, while generally positive, showed slight decreases compared to the initial assessment.
In conclusion, the pilot testing sessions and subsequent feedback highlighted the effectiveness of educational escape rooms in engaging participants and enhancing their understanding of citizenship topics. The data collected will be instrumental in refining these educational tools, ensuring they continue to effectively educate and engage young individuals on crucial citizenship subjects.
All information from the testings themselves were then used to improve the games themselves. We used questionnaires, surveys and verbal information in order to understand the opinions of each participant and after some diligent work the games are even better now than they were before. Feel free to play them here on our website!