ERASMUS+ Course
Game-Based Learning and Gamification
Across Europe, educators and coordinators are recognizing the power of play to transform learning. This course supports European priorities for digital transformation, inclusion, and creativity by helping schools design learning environments where curiosity and motivation thrive.
It equips institutions to strengthen teaching quality through innovative, game-inspired methods that build engagement, critical thinking, and collaboration across all subjects.For teachers, this course is a creative playground for innovation.
Through hands-on workshops, storytelling quests, and digital tool exploration, participants will discover how to design lessons that feel like adventures — where challenges inspire persistence, mistakes spark growth, and learning becomes genuinely fun. By the end, educators will have the tools and confidence to turn every classroom into a place where students don’t just learn… they level up.
“Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning.” — Diane Ackerman
Learning Outcomes
- •Generate ready‐to‐use materials and practical ideas on how to use current online digital applications to foster educational development in the field of Game-Based Learning (GBL).
- •Develop learners’ collaboration, creative and critical thinking through media and digital literacy, promoting an interdisciplinary approach to GBL.
- •Learn to motivate, guide, and assess learners to reduce low achievement in key competences and enhance mainstream education quality.
- •Support open educational resources (OER) and flexible learning environments to foster collaboration between educational sectors.
- •Reinforce continual professional development, re-ignite lifelong learning strategies, and build confidence in promoting game-based strategies in education.
- •Gain a broader understanding of educational practices and systems across Europe, cultivating mutual respect and intercultural awareness.
- •Meet colleagues from different EU countries, engage in cross-cultural learning experiences, and build networks for future international cooperation.
- •Enhance communication skills, improve foreign language competencies, and promote Europe’s broad linguistic diversity.
Teaching & Learning Methods
All our methods are designed to be highly interactive and hands-on, ensuring a practical and engaging learning experience.
- •Interactive Workshops: Explore game mechanics, storytelling, and gamified activities through active participation.
- •Practical Application: Design and adapt games and gamified lessons that suit your classroom needs.
- •Collaborative Projects: Work in teams to create innovative learning experiences and share ideas.
- •Reflection and Feedback: Reflect on the use of gamification and receive constructive feedback from peers and trainers.
- •Technology Integration: Learn how to use digital tools, apps, and mobile devices to enhance game-based learning.
EU Competence Frameworks
This course aligns with key EU competence frameworks:- •European Key Competences for Lifelong Learning: focusing on creativity, digital competence, and learning to learn.
- •European Education Area 2025: embedding innovative, participatory, and inclusive learning practices.
- •Digital Education Action Plan: promoting gamified digital literacy, simulations, and mobile learning strategies.
- •Council Recommendation on Key Competences (2018): developing transversal skills and lifelong learning habits.
- •European Pillar of Social Rights: ensuring high-quality, engaging, and equitable learning opportunities for all.
Erasmus+ Priorities
This course equips participants with skills that respond directly to key Erasmus+ priorities:- •Inclusion & Diversity: Engaging learners through multiple entry points and game-based strategies that meet diverse needs.
- •Digital Transformation: Integrating ICT tools, coding, simulations, and gamified digital platforms to enhance learning.
- •Quality & Creativity in Education: Addressing underachievement through playful, student-centered learning and productive struggle.
- •Active Citizenship & Intercultural Dialogue: Encouraging collaboration, mutual respect, and teamwork through game-based activities.
- •Lifelong Learning & Professional Development: Reinforcing innovative teaching strategies and global educational cooperation.
COURSE MODULES & TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
DAY 1 – Level Up Learning Foundations
Module 01 – Foundations of Gamification & Game-Based Teaching
Uncover what makes games so compelling and how to apply those secrets to your classroom.
Module 02 – From Points to Purpose: Tapping into Intrinsic Motivation
Move beyond rewards and badges to design learning experiences driven by meaning and mastery.
Orientation Walk with a Local Guide (optional, complimentary)
A short post-class city walk for orientation and networking. Voluntary, no fee, separate from the course, and not counted in Erasmus+ hours or outcomes.
DAY 2 – Designing Meaningful Play
Module 03 – Designing with Gamification Frameworks
Use smart design principles and proven frameworks to craft impactful learning journeys.
Module 04 – Personalizing Learning Through Gamification Profiles
Using Player Types and motivation to better engage all learners.
DAY 3 – The Power of Play & Productive Struggle
Module 05 – Creating Game-Based Learning Experiences
Balance challenge and fun to spark motivation and deepen learning.
Module 06 – Supercharge 21st Century Skills Through Games
Foster creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and resilience through purposeful play.
Module 07 – Productive Struggle and Growth Mindset through Coding
Use coding and digital play to encourage problem-solving and learning from mistakes.
DAY 4 – Tools, Storytelling & Outdoor Play
Module 08 – Tools for Instant Classroom Engagement
Explore top digital platforms and tools that make gamification simple and effective.
Module 09 – StoryQuest: Using Narrative to Create Immersive Learning Worlds
Learn the secrets of storytelling to transform lessons into epic educational adventures.
Module 10 – Gamification beyond Classroom
Transform outdoor spaces into interactive learning environments using gamified activities.
DAY 5 – Simulation, Design & Reflection
Module 11 – Experiential Learning Through Simulation Games
Design realistic, meaningful simulations to nurture empathy and strategic thinking.
Module 12 – Design Your Own Gamified Learning Experience
Create, present, and refine your own gamified lesson or learning quest.
Final Reflection
Action Plan • Certificates & Farewell