Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
13.4
Lessons Learned
In the project, the evaluation is still ongoing. In the following, we sum up the fi rst
fi ndings which will be underpinned by single quotes of the participating actors such
as young people and student mentors. All quoted comments are translated from the
qualitative group interviews.
The workshops were perceived very positively by the participants. This was also
refl ected and visible through their high motivation, their regular presence and high
commitment. Most of the participants would like the workshop to be repeated and
the workshop duration to be extended as we came up with in the interviews:
Participant:
'Well, if I had had one or two weeks more [in the workshop], I would
have developed something more complex'.
The pedagogical approach with its open defi nition of the task and the free cre-
ative and experimental work along the own-developed idea was rated highly posi-
tively by the participants who are used to more instructed learning situations in a
teacher-centred classroom. The participants stressed in the interview that they per-
ceived their usual school learning as predetermined. They used the metaphor of
'labyrinth' to describe it as opposed to the learning happening in the workshop:
Interviewer:
'Would you prefer to work that free [and self-determined]?'
Participant 1:
'Yes, […]. It is more fun than to work only in one direction. One can
say … like in a labyrinth if you have more narrow-instructed tasks.
But if you can work free, then you have more fun, you can use your
own things. […] it is like you are captured in a labyrinth. You can't
get out. And if you can do what you want, then you have more fun.
You can decide and make another decision [on your own] …if it
[the project] is not working like that, then we [the team] make it in
a different way… […] I like that [freedom of decision]'.
Participant 2:
'Generally, I like to work free [because] it opens up more opportu-
nities for my work as the usual tasks [given and perceived in dif-
ferent education contexts]. Normally, the working tasks are very
trivial, [for example], you have to do things that look useless to
you if you do it according to the instructed manner [given by the
teacher] or to realize it [the task] at all. [If the task is more open],
then it is possible to work more creative and to put a lot into it and
you are involved differently'.
The exhibition and presentation of the games enhanced the self-confi dence and
self-esteem of the participants. In this way, they were given the opportunity to train
their appearance and presentation skills:
Mentor:
'[I]t was K. (participant) […] as it was visible on the presentation [at the
exhibition]. He is 100 % proud of what we [the group] have had devel-
oped … […] he was completely enthusiastic and […] he got self-confi -
dence from the game [development]. For example, he [the participant]
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