L4D Learning for Democracy

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                                   Executive Summary
Introduction
This report addresses the potential of digital games to support social inclusion and empowerment goals. It is based on a range of theoretical and empirical data, brought together for the first time in this and associated reports. The aim of the report, commissioned by DG CNECT, is to provide a better understanding of the industrial, market, social opportunities and limitations of digital games for empowerment and as a tool for socio-economic inclusion of people at risk of exclusion (such as youth at risk, migrants, elderly people, the unemployed, and the low-educated). A review of the literature, 12 original short case studies, a number of workshops, and contributions from experts and stakeholders were used to identify both policy opportunities and challenges for deployment of digital games and gaming for social inclusion and empowerment.
The use of digital games and gaming is starting to show potential in addressing issues of policy concern including wellness and aging, education and employability of poor learners, improved quality of training and skill development in industry, and civic participation. The development of an industry providing services and products is also promising in terms of growth, and in improving the effectiveness of public services and interventions by third sector intermediaries to enable social inclusion. In terms of European policy, this could contribute to some of the main goals of Europe 2020: employment opportunities, educational achievement, and reduction of poverty and social exclusion. It is relevant to five of the major flagship policies: Youth on the Move, the Digital Agenda for Europe, the Agenda for New Skills and Jobs, the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion, and the Innovation Union, (with the potential for growth in the emerging market for 'serious games'). There are also issues of concern that must be taken into account by media regulation, media and cultural policy, policy to facilitate economic development through the creative and cultural industries, and the Single Market.
Opportunities
The research literature and case studies explored in this report (Chapter 2) shows that digital games-based approaches provide adaptable, motivating and engaging techniques that can be used to empower individuals and communities in ways that lead to social inclusion. However this evidence is still fragmentary. A review of practice shows that digital game approaches are being used, and offer particular promise as they:
 Support disengaged and disadvantaged learners and enhance employability and integration into society: e.g. games that help people with learning disabilities, or games that facilitate low-level training and reinsertion into education. This is the area with the greatest activity, and is focused primarily on young people.
 Promote health and well-being: e.g. games which aim to raise awareness about certain physical and mental health issues, promote health and well-being either as part of prevention, or in support of those who are dealing with health problems. This area covers all age groups and a wide range of people, from children in hospital, those following specific diets and fitness routines, to patients in rehabilitation from mental illness, and 'active aging' of older people.
 Foster civic participation and community-building: e.g. games which raise awareness about political and governmental topics, or enable participatory community planning. Work in this area, where games have been identified as a powerful communication tool. is often focused on young people. However, the qualities of games are being used for all age groups, and in the developed and the developing world.
Digital game-based approaches include the use of commercial entertainment games, special-purpose games, and by game-making and application of game-techniques in non-game contexts, or 'gamification'. They work by facilitating learning and participation in multiple ways, not merely conveying declarative knowledge, but also developing systems thinking skills, creativity, social skills and other '21st Century' skills such as online collaboration and creative thinking. Seven different processes can be identified for how games do this, such as increasing engagement in learning, supporting experiential and social learning, creative and personalised learning, and a safe environment for experimentation.
Outcomes of using the game-based approaches identified in this report include building social ties and participating in communities of practice around gaming; developing core skills such as literacy and maths, and specialised skills in technology and design; personal empowerment though improved self-confidence and self-efficacy; and increasing awareness among particular groups of important issues such as discrimination. These outcomes are all fundamental to facilitating active empowerment and inclusion, whether it be preparing for employment, keeping active in old age or enhancing civic participation. Digital games can be used with many target groups, ranging from children from deprived communities, young people not in Employment, Education or Training (NEETs), disabled people, the acutely and chronically ill (both mentally and physically), elderly people suffering isolation, people in communities with high crime rates or problems of extremism and social entrepreneurs. Nonetheless, this report finds that games-based approaches offer a particular opportunity to reach young people at risk – especially the 'NEETs'.
The role of professionals and intermediaries
Rather than seeing digital games as replacements for other interventions, or for use in isolation, this report focuses on their potential for empowering intermediaries and professionals who work in the domain of social inclusion. Digital game approaches can be applied in many areas of social inclusion work, such as combating school and training dropout, coping with chronic illness and help migrant integration. When given the appropriate assistance, professionals such as teachers and medical professionals readily see the potential of digital games. Where internet or mobile access and skills are available, digital games can be distributed at low cost and used online, reaching an unlimited audience. They can be designed to be customisable, bringing benefits of both broad reach and local adaptation. Digital game techniques can be used in formal contexts, like health services and schools, but may be particularly suited to the context of much social inclusion initiatives promoted by among third-sector intermediary organisations, where informal and non-formal learning and support techniques are used.
Social inclusion is a difficult field, so the application of digital games is complex and sensitive process. The socially excluded often suffer multiple deprivations, and live in communities with many problems and few resources. Interventions with the socially excluded are often poorly resourced and intermediary organisations, professionals and decision makers are under pressure. This makes the adoption of novel approaches like digital gaming difficult and creates barriers to both effective innovation involving developers, intermediaries and users, and the emergence of stable practices and markets. Nonetheless, innovation is occurring, and novel ideas are becoming new practices which can achieve real impact. However, further research and implementation is needed to understand how digital games and gaming can be used effectively and cost-effectively in a range of settings, how to encourage intermediaries to use games, and what role professional games designers and researcher can play in creating new products and techniques.
Opportunities to exploit gaming culture and reuse game technology
The potential of digital games is in part based on the widespread adoption and use of digital games in 21st century. Digital game audiences are expanding rapidly: gaming is almost ubiquitous among young people and is reaching older age groups, with social, casual and intense forms of gaming appealing to women and men alike. New devices, such as smart phones and tablets, and new ways to play games, particular online are changing the face of gaming (Chapter 3). The digital game industry, currently worth over 56 billion Euros globally, continues to grow fast, playing a leading role in the development of interactive, mobile and online media products, services and business models, and in the growth of ICT-based consumer business. Investment and innovation in the games industry is also spilling over into other industry segments, like science, defence, media and education, making it a driver of growth in more sectors than just the entertainment video games sector.
The use of digital games for social inclusion and empowerment is part of a larger trend emerging over the last 10 years towards the use of digital game techniques, technologies and products in a range of non-leisure sectors including health, education, training, defence, communication, advertising and activism. Growth in this market demonstrates the value of digital games for 'serious' purposes. Investors, researchers, practitioners and policy makers are starting to identify opportunities for a 'serious games' and gamification industry, supplying a market currently estimated at over 2.35 billion EUR worldwide, predominantly in the USA, but reaching 500m EUR in Europe. New tools and platforms make games development ever more accessible to both professionals and end users. Moreover, the internet and mobile platforms make distribution cheap and simple – the basis for a growth market. Digital games design offers young people new and attractive education and career paths, not only in games development, but in a whole range of other fields of work. National policy makers, notably in the USA, are focusing on the economic and social opportunities of digital games, promoting the use of digital games in education, government, and raising the visibility and legitimacy of digital gaming. Other countries, including France, Singapore and Korea have investment programmes in serious games with the aim of stimulating industrial growth and social outcomes. The EC has also invested significantly in a range of R&D and implementation projects, particularly related to education, but without a clear high-level policy vision joining up the initiatives that exist across DGs. The potential for DGEI goes far beyond what is available today, but will only reach this potential of a number of challenges are overcome.
Challenges
Despite these promising activity and opportunities, the idea that digital games can be used as a resource for empowerment and social inclusion is relatively new and not well known. In addition, there are important barriers and challenges that stakeholders must address (Chapter 4). The nascent 'serious game industry' is still fragile and ill defined, with shifting business models and limited government assistance. In fact, it is not yet established if there is such as thing as a 'serous game' industry at all. While digital games are gaining markets in areas such as advertising and corporate training, it is still unclear what business models and gains in effectiveness and efficiency in other application domains could ensure the development and use of digital games for empowerment and inclusion.
Barriers to adoption among users make the innovation and business development process slow and risky. Low awareness and negative images of digital games constitute major barriers to investment and adoption. Changing institutional and professional practice in education, social care and health care to make the best use of ideas, techniques and products of digital gaming can be held up by slow and uncertain systemic change.
Other barriers to exploiting games is low of quality of many special-purpose games, lack of formal evidence of impact and scarcity of high-profile demonstrations. Networks of practice and financial and knowledge assistance are only just being put in place to allow the build up of knowledge and experience among developers, professionals, researchers and educators. There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence, but the scientific evaluation and impact assessment literature, although positive, is rather minimal. Considerable work is still needed to convincingly demonstrate the potential impact of digital games and gaming on social inclusion and empowerment. In addition, appropriate assessment techniques must be found to judge outcomes.
Finally, successful innovation needs investors, entrepreneurs, users, intermediaries, researchers and game developers who can produce high quality products and services. These must be delivered sustainably and reach a wider constituency of users than just partners in individual projects. The mainstream game industry, and game design professionals are still reluctant to work and develop markets in the 'serious' side of digital gaming. Millions of euros and dollars have been spent on research and pilots, but this is not translating into widespread use, and many practitioners remain to be convinced. Funded research projects fail to adequately address issues of implementation and the challenges of real-life experimentation and sustainability, and are often unable to address the systemic barriers such as procurement and quality control in application domains. However, this sustainability will not come from individual efforts, but rather from the development of an ecosystem of production and applied use of digital games in general."

                                   Contents

1 Digital Games and Gaming for Empowerment and Inclusion (DGEI) ....... 14
1.1 Introduction .............................................................................. 14
1.2 Social Exclusion, inclusion and empowerment ........................................... 14
1.3 Why Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion? ....................... 16
1.4 Policy Context ..................................................... 17
1.5 Basic concepts: Digital Games and Meaningful Play .......... 19
1.6 Aims and Methodology .................................................................................... 27
2 Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion....................... 30
2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 30
2.2 Overcoming Social Exclusion: Empowerment ................ 30
2.3 Basic taxonomies for DGEI .............................. 34
2.4 A Survey of Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion .................. 35
2.5 Evidence of Outcomes in the Research Literature ............. 52
2.6 Original Empirical Evidence: Methodology and Aim ............ 55
2.7 Game-focused Case studies ............................................................. 60
2.8 Multi-initiative and policy-focused cases ................................................. 74
2.9 A conceptual framework for Digital Games supporting learning and participation ....... 83
2.10 Learning and participation through games: Three approaches ................ 91
2.11 Adoption of game-based approaches and at-risk groups ....... 102
2.12 A opportunity for support of youth-at-risk and NEETs: Game-based inclusion ............. 107
2.13 Key Stakeholders in DGEI practices: Intermediaries and at-risk groups ............ 110
2.14 Knowledge gaps and Recommendations for Research Policy ...................... 114
2.15 Policy Concerns: Evidence of future potential for widespread impact? ................. 116
2.16 Summary ........................................................................... 121
3 The supply side: video game, serious game and special purpose game production and markets 122
3.1 The ‘Videogame’ Industry .......................................................... 122
3.2 The “Serious Game” and "Gamification" Industries ............................. 125
3.3 The digital serious games and gamification market: demand sectors, customers and users .... 127
3.4 Value model and production approaches in serious gaming. ......................... 130
3.5 Supply of Game Making Tools ................................................ 133
3.6 Challenges ahead ............................................................................... 134
3.7 Innovation and production of special-purpose games for DGEI ..................... 141
3.8 Stakeholders in the DGEI ecosystem: a project focus ..................... 141
3.9 Relevance of the Video and Serious Game industries to DGEI .................. 147
3.10 Policy activities shaping video games and serious games .................... 152
4 Meeting Challenges, Exploiting Opportunities ................. 161
4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................... 161
4.2 Challenges to successful innovation and use of DGEI ..................... 164
4.3 Potential for Policy Action .......................................................... 172
4.4 Summary and Conclusion ............................................... 182
5 Bibliographical references .......................................... 185
Annexes .................................................................................................................. 204

1 Glossaries ...................................................................... 204
2 EU activities in the field of Digital Games and DGEI ................. 208
2.1 The European Commission ......................................................... 208
2.2 European Parliament ............................................................................... 209
2.3 Summary

Table........................................................................................... 209
3 A Roadmap for Action on Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion in Europe ....... 213
3.1 EVIDENCE BUILDING AND AWARENESS RAISING .......................... 213
3.2 2. EMPOWERMENT, SKILLING AND INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING ................. 215
3.3 3. UNLEASHING THE INNOVATION POTENTIAL OF DGEI .................. 217
4 Workshop Participants ................................................. 221
4.1 Expert workshop Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion, .............................. 221
4.2 Policy Makers Workshop "Building an EC inter-service consensus on Opportunities, Challenges and possible actions on Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion (DGEI)" ........................ 221
4.3 Stakeholders Workshop: "Building a Roadmap for future actions supporting Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion (DGEI)" .......................................................................... 222

                                  Figures

Figure 1 Gamer rates France, Germany, Spain and the UK Q4 2011 - Q2 2012 (Source ISFE 2012) .. 20
Figure 2 Evidence and analysis of DGEI .......................................... 29
Figure 3 UKCES Employability Skills (source UKCES 2009) ...................................... 31
Figure 4 A Generalisable Framework for DGEI outcomes ........................................ 83
Figure 5 Opportunities and Challenges of different game approaches .............................. 102
Figure 6. Percentage of players in the education sector distributed across age categories. (Source: IDATE-Ludoscience/Game Classification). ........................................................ 103
Figure 7. Percentage of players in the professional training sector distributed across age categories. (Source: IDATE-Ludoscience/Game Classification)......................................................................................... 104
Figure 8. Percentage of players in the health sector distributed across age categories. (Source: IDATE-Ludoscience/Game Classification). ................................................................................... 104
Figure 9. Percentage of players in the information and communication sector distributed across age categories. (Source: IDATE-Ludoscience/Game Classification). .................... 105
Figure 10 Issues and Opportunities in adoption of game based approaches non-formal and informal learning settings ......................................................................................................................... 114
Figure 11 Evolution of the European Video Games market size with estimated growth (Source PwC, 2011) ......... 123
Figure 12 Highlighting key stakeholders in the DGEI ecosystem. ........................... 142
Figure 13 Some crucial building blocks for a successful DGEI project. .................. 145
Figure 14 Relationship between videogame, serious industries and DGEI use ............... 152
Figure 15 Context and outcomes of Digital Game-based practices ....................... 163
Figure 16 Challenges in DGEI ........................................................ 164
Figure 17 Interdependence between DGEI challenges and Roadmap priority actions ........... 181
Figure 18 A Blueprint for a DGEI Roadmap for Action ........... 220

                                      Tables
Table 1 Gamer rates by gender in France, Germany and  UK Q4 2011 - Q2 2012 (from ISFE 2012) . 20
Table 2: Extending the boundaries of digital games ......................................................... 23
Table 3 Constituencies of action and thought in DGEI ...................................... 26
Table 4 Policy measures to support NEETs (Eurofound 2012) ......................................... 32
Table 5 Support for disengaged and disadvantaged learners and enhancing employability and integration into society: aims and populations ............................................................... 37
Table 6 Supporting disengaged and disadvantaged learners and enhancing employability and integration into society Part 1 Youth in transition........................................................................ 40
Table 7 Supporting disengaged and disadvantaged learners and enhancing employability and integration into society Part 2 Youth in education and at home ............................. 41
Table 8 Supporting disengaged and disadvantaged learners and enhancing employability and integration into society Part 3 Work and Play...................................................... 42
Table 9 Issues and Target groups in the promotion of health and well-being .............. 43
Table 10 Promoting health and well-being Part 1: Illness and wellness ............... 45
Table 11 Promoting health and well-being Part 2 Active Aging ...... 46
Table 12 Issues and populations related to fostering of civic participation, awareness and community-building... 47
Table 13 Fostering civic participation, awareness, and community-building ..................... 49
Table 14 Issues and target groups addressed by current game-based practice ......... 51
Table 15 Good Practices in supporting disengaged and disadvantaged learners and enhancing employability and integration into society ................................................................. 56
Table 16 Good Practices in fostering civic participation, awareness, and community-building ..... 58
Table 17 Good Practices Promoting health and well-being .............................. 59
Table 18 A framework for understanding Digital Games supporting learning for empowerment .. 89
Table 19 Mapping learning perspectives on intended outcomes, design of learning tool and form of assessment based on review by Mayes and De Freitas (2004). .............................................. 93
Table 20 Learning principles as they can be present in digital games. Based on Gee (n.d.) ..... 97
Table 21 Game-based approaches to NEET integration identified from practice .......... 109
Table 22 Issues and Opportunities in adoption of game based approaches by teachers and other intermediaries ........................................................................................................................... 112
Table 23 Knowledge Transfer and Service Scaling ......................................................... 120
Table 24 Challenges and actions for the serious game industry (based on Alvarez el al 2012 with author development) ............................................................................................................... 140
Table 25 Policy Support for video games and serious games ................. 152
Table 26 Areas for Action to support successful widespread innovation in DGEI .......... 171
Table 27 Glossary of terms in DGEI ........................................ 204
Table 28 Glossary from the digital game industry .................................... 206
Table 29 Summary of EU activities and interests in Digital Games .................... 210