What are the pilot projects?
The pilot projects or the pilot tests are a key activity part of the P-CUBE project in which the game was presented and tested by various stakeholders. The project indcluded the implementation of these actions, all of them tackling one of the four policy focus areas of the project. An initial test of the game was thus performed, at different levels and with different stakeholders, in order to fine-tune the policy game and test its validity towards different targets. P-CUBE included two types of pilots:
- at least 20 pilots with higher education institutions. These pilots mainly aimed at introducing the policy game in different curricula related to the topics addressed by the project.
- at least 10 pilots with local communities. The main aim of these activities was to present the P-CUBE Game, as an artifact that can be used to foster civic engagement.
Who will take part in these pilots?
The main active stakeholders in this pilot phase were the High Education (HE) teachers. Teachers are the main stakeholders that we wanted to engage. They were selected from among the partner institutions, other universities, and the associated partners, based on prior experience of, and willingness to engage in, the introduction of gamified approaches in teaching policy analysis.
The second target group was university students that participated in the pilot and were selected by the teachers previously involved in the process. These pilot tests were also an opportunity to present and test the games designed and implemented to external stakeholders as scientists of decision makers.
Collecting feedback and testing the game on various actors enabled us to improve the game and make it accessible for everyone. Indeed, the aim was to involve different stakeholders, from HE institutions – to introduce the game in their curricula – to local communities to foster, through the game, civic engagement and contributing to fill the gap between citizens and the EU, improving the knowledge of the EU system.
When did this testing phase start?
These pilot actions started from April 2022.
Where was it implemented?
Some pilot tests were implemented online and some face-to-face. The format was chosen depending on the group of stakeholders gathered to test the game.
Why was this testing phase important for the project?
The few pilot tests done with the very basic paper prototype formerly developed by POLIMI, show how the fact of playing a potentially competitive game stimulates the interests of the players (both university students and municipal employees) and accelerates the learning process. The online version was then tested to highlight that a video game is a good tool to learn and teach.
Moreover, this activity was crucial for translating the Game into an artifact that can be used outside high education with the aim of fostering civic engagement.
How to take part in the pilot tests?
If you are interested in this activity, do not hesitate to write us an email by clicking the button below:
