Sparks

Sparks, an initiative by Lascò and partners, addresses the profound educational challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted the learning pathways of nearly 1.6 billion students globally. This disruption threatened to cause a 'long-term learning loss' as students struggled to re-engage with educational activities. Recognising the need to keep students engaged, Sparks developed gamification-based tools to create innovative and engaging learning experiences, leveraging game elements to enhance learner motivation.

Who are the Beneficiaries?

Sparks primarily targets Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers, aiming to address the pandemic-induced challenges of maintaining learner engagement and motivation. The initiative supports VET learners, teachers, and trainers in adapting to online learning and increasing their digital skills. Additionally, Sparks involves school, higher, and adult education providers, policy-makers, other relevant EU projects and initiatives, experts in ICT and gamification, and the media. The initiative aims to enhance the digital competencies of educators and provide learners with opportunities to improve their transversal and lifelong skills.

Current Impact

Since its inception, Sparks has directly engaged over 1,200 VET professionals and learners. The project outputs have been downloaded more than 1,500 times, with 87% of educators and 89% of students recommending the Learning Management System to their colleagues or peers. The dissemination activities have reached over 25,000 recipients, significantly increasing the competencies and tools available to VET educators for delivering gamified eLearning experiences. The initiative has been recognised as a best practice by the UN Global Compact for its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Why is it a Good Practice?

Sparks addresses the critical need to keep students engaged in learning during the pandemic, mitigating the risk of long-term learning loss. The initiative enhances the ability to use digital technologies creatively and collaboratively by developing innovative tools and practices for VET providers. Providing a conceptual framework and gamified eLearning program templates supports the design of engaging learning experiences. The gamified Learning Management System, available in seven languages, facilitates creating, delivering, and managing gamified courses, offering practical examples and step-by-step guidance. The initiative’s comprehensive approach, including best practices reports, facilitator guides, and eLearning modules, equips VET educators with the skills and resources needed to motivate learners effectively. Sparks exemplifies the successful integration of gamification into education, fostering a more engaging and resilient learning environment in the face of unprecedented challenges.