Gamification of Geological Education in European Geoparks – GAMEGEO

Project Objective:

The main goal of the project is to innovate and expand geological and environmental education with new digital forms that will increase interest in the natural and cultural heritage of the region.

Other objectives:

innovation of interpretation tools for information and visitor centres
initiation of cooperation between geoparks
methodological materials to assist in the creation of new geoparks in the EU and also for their operation
establishment of an educational platform with the materials for the public, educators and professionals.

Project starting point: (the problem for which we have decided to implement the project)

Knowledge of the local landscape, its geological processes and geological evolution, and the ability to interpret it in context, is completely lacking in the educational programmes offered nowadays in geoparks. The information about geology is very important in forming our view of our environment. Without the knowledge of geological processes, we may not understand fully the way of evolution of the animals and plants (fauna and flora) in the area. The ignorance of the basic principles of nature conservation results of a lack of the knowledge needed to make broader connections. We have thus discovered a white space in adult education that geoparks, in terms of their mission, can fill. Therefore, the aim of our project is to enrich the offer of adult education with an innovative interactive format that will at the same time meet the priorities of the Erasmus+ programme.

Target groups:

The main target group is the general public, which includes not only adults but also parents with children.

Secondary groups are:

Seniors – adults over 60, a non-homogeneous group that focuses on tourism, cultural sights, relaxation
Educators
Stakeholders – local residents
High school and university students
Professionals – geopark staff, i.e. geologists, palaeontologists, conservationists, amateur researchers, tour operators (outdoor)

Outcomes:

a) GeoEduGame (GEG) platform – an interactive online portal providing adult education in geology, palaeontology and other natural sciences in a playful way. The portal will include an e-learning course in partners’ languages, including English, gaming and fun learning elements and augmented reality

b) Geolocation application aimed at presenting selected sites. It will be implemented in the partners’ languages and in English.

(c) Supporting the promotion of visitor centres and educational spaces through innovation and digitisation contained in the IC toolkit

(d) A cookbook (manual) for running a successful geopark, showing the methodology and process of establishing a geopark, its development, stabilization and the vision of how to participate in the UNESCO Global Geoparks

e) Geo-walks as part of dissemination activities

Funding:

The project is implemented within the Erasmus+ Programme, Cooperative Partnerships in Adult Education (KA220-ADU). Grant 2023-1-CZ01-KA220-ADU-000166032. The total budget amounts to € 400 000, for AINova as a partner 50 000 €. The project period is 36 months, starting on 1 November 2023 and ending on 31 October 2026.