The project

Not only in times of the Corona pandemic – but now in particular – we need new concepts for high-quality digital teaching and learning environments. This applies especially for the area of generic competences (transferable skills or soft skills), whose acquisition is based on interaction, networking and the reflection of one’s own experience, and which therefore can hardly be taught with conventional lecture formats. The promotion of innovative teaching that enables students to successfully master future social challenges in Europe is a central goal of the AURORA Competence Framework. This also includes the digitalization of teaching, the modernization of content and learning objectives.

The EU H2020 project “VERSA – Video games for skills training”, a cooperation between the AURORA partner universities Rovira i Virgili (Spain), University of Innsbruck (Austria) and VU Amsterdam (Netherlands) and the Spanish GECON Foundation is developing such new approaches. VERSA challenges current concepts of soft skills teaching through an innovative training method: key soft skills that are essential for both academic and managerial positions, are taught with the help of the softskills.games platform developed by GECON. The computer game-based training is accompanied by coaching sessions developed by psychologists and trainers and continuously evaluated. The result is a tailor-made training program for all participants, which promotes their professional development and prepares them for the international labour market in both academic and industrial environments in a united Europe. The interdisciplinary concept generates a high level of motivation in the participants, which not only promotes their learning success, but also their professional network across faculties and universities. VERSA pursues two objectives: Providing innovative digital tools for the training of soft skills at the partner universities and evaluating the VERSA concept and establishing it as a consistent methodology for future use in the curricula of PhD programs.

VERSA aims to train eight generic competences, which can be used as both “academic” and “non-academic” as well as “future skills”: Creativity, critical thinking, complex problem solving, cognitive flexibility, people and team management, time management, judgement and decision-making, and goal setting.
 The students will get access to a video game suitable for the training of the skill and have to play the game for a certain amount of time within the course. Their progress is monitored in the game and through standardized questionnaires which are completed before and after practice. In addition, each of the courses includes a coaching session and the students receive support with technical, content-related or game-related problems.

From April 2021 to January 2023, through a modular structure, students receive complete and specific training for one soft skill per module using a commercial video game, following the scheme below.

As can be seen in the table, each module includes a soft skill specific standardized test to enrich the evaluation output in a pre-post application model. This allows the generation of a baseline with which to compare the soft skill performance and evolution of the student, to further personalize the final report of each module. Besides, a specific coaching session is held in the middle of the module period in order to reinforce the soft skills acquisition and awareness. Group dynamics give the users the possibility to think about the importance of the soft skill and establish a bridge between theory and academic or work life.

 

Soft Skills & video games

Here are the definitions and some examples to understand the soft skills of the VERSA modules and the video games of each module.

Module 1

Cognitive Flexibility

The ability to see different patterns or generate different options to solve or analyse new situations. Along with other skills, Cognitive Flexibility plays an important factor in the ability to adapt to new situations as well as the ability to think “outside the box” and keep an open mind in front of new and unexpected events or problems.

Examples:

– Facility for Multi-tasking, managing and tolerating changes between tasks or activities without losing efficiency.

– Take into account different perspectives or generate different options when analysing a problem or unexpected situation.

– Better tolerate errors and unforeseen events.

Portal 2

Portal 2 is an entertaining first-person puzzle game where as players we will have a single tool to solve all kinds of puzzles: a portal gun. In a fun and motivating story, players will have to give their best in order to progress by solving problems in the most creative way possible. Also available in cooperative mode to add some difficulty to the scenarios in groups of 2 people.

Available on: Windows PC & MAC

See game in Steam

Module 2

Creativity

The ability to provide unusual or intelligent ideas about a given issue or situation or develop alternative ways to solve a problem. It is part of the Innovation competition that involves contextualizing creativity with a goal, either adapting to change or improving an existing process.

Examples:

– Generate different methods to improve knowledge retention during the study or learning.

– Think about new ways to improve communication or another aspect in a work team.

– Ability to generate different and disruptive questions about the object of interest.

– Ease to think up new lines of work, group activities, games with friends…

Cities Skylines

Cities Skylines is a creative city management simulation game. In the role of entrepreneurs, we will have to build a sustainable city from scratch, taking into account variables such as electricity consumption, water consumption, various laws distributed in districts, road construction, basic services, taxes and much more.

Available on: Windows PC & MAC

See game in Steam

Module 3

Critical Thinking

Use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. It requires analysing the situation or the problem in depth, identifying the different elements that make up the system and questioning its role or need, including the missing elements that should be.

Examples:

– Lateral thinking as a consequence of critical thinking, “Think Outside the Box”.

– Influences Creativity by realizing that the optimal solution is not the most obvious.

– Questioning the knowledge acquired and the sources of this knowledge, to reach a greater understanding.

– Ability to verify information or solutions to a situation.

Anomaly 2

Anomaly 2 is a strategy video game based on the tower defence-offense genre, where players have to coordinate a platoon of military vehicles with certain unique abilities in an entertaining narrative about an alien invasion. Within this management, in the role of squad leader, the characteristics of each vehicle, the investment of resources in upgrades and the optimal battle scenarios or moments will have to be taken into account, in addition to coordinating the platoon attacks and defences.

Available on: Windows PC & MAC

See game in Steam

Module 4

Complex Problem Solving

Ability used to solve ill-defined problems. It involves identifying the elements of the problem, devising possible solutions and carrying them out taking into account the immediate feedback of each application to modify the solution.

Examples:

– Solve an organization problem by identifying what fails and applying changes.

– Solve complex problems by devising alternative solutions thanks to lateral thinking.

– Ability to manage all the elements involved in the resolution of a problem.

Train Valley

Train Valley is an entertaining puzzle game where we manage train journeys in different world scenarios. Within our roles we have to manage the necessary resources for the creation of the train tracks, forming an interconnected and effective train track network, in addition to determining the departures of said trains, always seeking the optimization of the routes avoiding possible accidents and adapting these strategies to the unexpected changes.

Available on: Windows PC & MAC

See game in Steam

Module 5

People/Team Management

Motivate, develop and direct people as they work, identifying the best people for the job. It implies conflict and emotional management of the group itself and even orientation to global results.

Examples:

– Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each person within a team.

– Optimize and assign each person to the job that fits them most.

– Mediate any conflict and always face the performance of the group to a practical result.

– Ability to generate a motivational environment among the members of a team or in individuals.

Fallout Shelter

Fallout Shelter is a calm, medium / long-term progression game where players have to manage the operation of an underground shelter. Within this management, in the role of leader and coordinator, they will have to take into account the characteristics of each worker to assign them to the most optimal jobs for each profile, analysing these functions and the expected benefits. In addition, resources will have to be managed to ensure the proper functioning of the shelter, manage unexpected situations, adapt to changes and equip each worker to send them on missions for resources, making them evolve, being more efficient over time. On the other hand, it has a creative section where the player is free to build the shelter they want as well as the daily activities that the players must carry out to maintain the good state of the system.

Available on: Windows PC

See game in Steam

Module 6

Time Management

Managing the time and time of others. It implies being aware of the time when the tasks are performed.

Examples:

– Distribute tasks in time to take advantage of high levels of productivity

– Being aware of how long it takes for the tasks to be carried out by other people and having that variable in mind when assigning tasks or establishing a project planning.

Minion Masters

Minion Masters is a game very similar to the famous Clash Royal video game, where players will have to manage an energy bar to buy and deploy units into the playing field and destroy enemy buildings. What’s more, this fun game hides a card collection mechanic where creativity is unleashed when creating the different “decks” of units to fight either alone or with another player.

Available on: PC Windows & MAC

See game in Steam

Module 7

Judgement and Decision Making

Taking into account the relative costs and benefits of the possible actions to choose the most appropriate. It is a meta competence that encompasses different skills such as Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Resource Management, Organization…

Examples:

– Choose the best option in front of a multitude of alternatives to solve a problem.

– Issue valid judgments thanks to the prior collection of reliable information (critical thinking to discern between false and valid information).

– Go beyond critical-analytical thinking and take the initiative in actions proactively.

Gems of War

Gems of war is a match-3 game (like the well-known Candy Crush) where the player will have to match 3 or more pieces on a 2D map with the added element of a simple turn-based combat mechanic, where the color of the pieces matched determines the type of attack that is executed. It also has a collection of cards / units, to be improved and to establish teams with them. Its complexity at the level of interfaces and mechanics provides the player with an ideal stimulation to increase digital skills as well as soft skills.

Available on: Windows PC

See game in Steam

Module 8

Goal Setting

Also known as Results Orientation, goal setting is the process of deciding what you want to achieve and devising a plan to achieve the result you want. For entrepreneurs, goal setting is an important part of business planning.

Examples: 

– Plan and establish objectives over time of a work project.

– Plan a getaway, trip or activity with friends or family.

– Ability to generate measurable milestones and work.

Alien Swarm Reactive Drop

Alien Swarm Reactive Drop is a fun cooperative third-person shooter game, with an eagle view, where we will have to complete different missions in a hostile alien environment and very well defined and distributed roles within our survival team.

Available on: Windows PC

See game in Steam

VERSA Calendar

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