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visualize the processes by the learners themselves, following a constructivist and
artistic learning approach. In order to improve media literacy of the young partici-
pants, the project aims to support them to shape their own vocational biography
towards the development of a vocational identity in the future.
In Germany, vocational preparation is organized separately both at school and
out of school in vocational preparation measures. An uncoordinated and confusing
variety of offers exist for the young people to deal with. However, most measures do
not lead to a profession according to the German dual system. Young people are
prepared for work or advised to take up formal vocational apprenticeships. They are
placed in a transit situation, hoping to enable their employment in future.
The project is based on the idea of integrating the target group of young people
in vocational preparation who usually are characterized by having experienced neg-
ative learning situations and failure in their school careers. Most of them are holding
leaving certifi cates of the secondary school (Hauptschule) or middle school
(Realschule) with bad grades. Some even miss any leaving certifi cates. They are
aged 15-21. The young people compete on the labour market with the increasing
number of school leavers of academic secondary schools holding the A levels
(Abitur), so that there is poor school to work transition for them. The number of
such disadvantaged youngsters is increasing not only in Germany. However, it is the
main pedagogical aim of the project to focus on their creative capacities, which can
be defi ned as processes of developing and designing original ideas which have value
(Robinson
2001
), in order to enable them to investigate their own strength, and
interests through developing and designing integrated on- and offl ine games.
The integration of the physical environment and technology was realized by
equipping the young people with tools and media in order for them to experiment
with it, to develop interest and to explore their own resources, rather than to focus
on updating technical and job-related skills and competences. By developing a proj-
ect, based on their own ideas and negotiations in the teams, they are expected to deal
with their own concepts, to fi nd solutions and to develop responsibility towards the
realization of the game. Summing it up, they imagine an idea and give life to it,
passing all processes of production, design as well as construction, testing, rede-
signing and problem solving.
13.2
Creative Game Development in Education
and the 'GamesLab ON/OFF' Approach
Games represent activity systems in which the subjects act and communicate on the
basis of using game specifi c tools according to the given rules. The latter is an over-
all agreement by the players. Activity theory can be perceived as an overall theoreti-
cal approach analysing human actions which are mediated by the tools used as well
as the cultural environment wherein the subjects and objects of activity are operat-
ing and develop meaning (Engeström
1987
; Reimann and Blohm
2007
). The con-
cept of play and the games developed in our culture constitute a special sort of
