Project state
closed
Project start
July 2023
Funding duration
30 months
Universities involved
PHZH, ZHdK
Practice partners
KITS-Fachstelle, Schulamt der Stadt Zürich, hep-Verlag
Schools are facing numerous challenges in the digital transformation. In the Edugame4Change project, the ImaginEd game is being developed to help schools shape this change at various levels. It combines a simulation game and an applied game to stimulate a sustainable school development process.
Schools face major challenges in the digital transformation. It is not simply a matter of purchasing tablets or introducing new software. Rather, schools must evolve as organisations: How do we want to teach in the future? What role do digital media play? How are collaboration, responsibility and the culture of learning changing?
The project investigated how schools can address such questions collaboratively and constructively. At its heart is a specially developed game called ImaginEd, which supports school teams in designing their own future and reflecting on digital changes together. The game was developed in collaboration with three pilot schools and was accompanied by a qualitative study (interviews with school teams, observations of test sessions).
Key research questions
- How can a game help schools to start a dialogue about digital transformation?
- Does a game-based format encourage collaboration within multi-professional teams?
- Is it possible to translate the ideas developed in the game into concrete steps for everyday school life? What are the limitations of such an approach?
The results show that the game developed acts as a shared space for reflection and discussion. It helps to
highlight different perspectives and openly discuss tensions. Digital transformation is understood not merely as a technical issue, but as a matter of attitude, culture and collaboration. At the same time, it became clear that such a format must be well-supported and clearly structured. Only then can productive discussions take place rather than confusion. It is also particularly important that the game is embedded within existing school development processes; otherwise, it remains a one-off experience. Overall, the project demonstrates
that playful formats can help schools to view digital transformation not as a burden, but as a collaborative process of shaping the future.
Core team:
Prof. Dr. Tobias Röhl, PHZH Centre for Media Education and Computer Science / Centre for Education and Digital Transformation
Stefan Schmidlin, ZHdK Game Design
Nija (Sonja) Böckler, ZHdK Game Design
Practice partner:
Call type: 2. Project Call
