GAMe-based tools to Foster an INtegrative model for early Gender Equality Education

<< Background >>Attention to gender diversity continues to be a challenge in the current educational system in Europe. The main educational guidelines promoted by the European Union (EU) to be implemented in schools aim to increase the achievement of all students, respect and diversity (Nargis & Tikly, 2010). However, even though these guidelines are not new, and that progress has been made towards LGBTIQ+ equality in the EU, the European reality a few months before applying for the project showed that discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people still persisted (European Commission, 2020). Therefore, we identified the need to contribute to an adequate gender equality education for children and adolescents, understood as a comprehensive action addressing the emotional, relational, socio-psychological and health aspects of gender, sex and sexuality; also addressing relationships, equality, diversity, respect and consent, among others (e.g. Szirom, 2017). In this sense, GaminGEE was created to provide educators and families with guidance to identify and address inappropriate behaviors against gender diversity, to provide support for those who experience discrimination, and to guide young people toward understanding and tolerance of such diversity.<< Objectives >>The specific objectives of the GaminGEE project were: 1.To provide educators and families with effective resources to raise awareness of the values applied to sex and affections, in relation to gender equality, mutual respect, consent, sexual diversity, etc. 2. To develop healthy sexual and affective behaviors in adolescents. 3. Prevent sexual violence (sexual harassment, rape, non-consensual behaviors, etc.) and biased gender roles among young people. 4. Prevent harassment and violence against sexual minorities and promote behaviors that consider diversity as a special opportunity to grow. In summary, GaminGEE's objectives were aimed at changing attitudes related to biased gender roles and eliminating intolerance to any form of violence and the psychosocial patterns that contribute to its perpetuation, through an attractive and easily recognizable toolkit for educators and families (guides) and children (videogame).<< Implementation >>During the three years of the project, all the planned activities have been carried out:1)The validation / reviewing activity of the developed guides that involved 3 education professionals and 3 families per country (Result 1: R1). This activity made it possible to detect errors in the first versions of the guides, as well as to include different improvements that arose from the proposals made by the participants in the activity.2)Two focus groups for the realization of Result 2 (R2): in one group, adolescents participated, and in the other, families, educators, external experts in diversity and videogame developers. The first focus group allowed us to know the type of video game that adolescents prefer and helped us to determine which plot could be better to include. The second focus group helped us to improve the first version of the video game based on the suggestions made by the attendees. 3)A Learning Activity (LA) that took place over two days in Burgos, involving educators, independent experts in gender equality, sexuality and children's rights, psychologists with experience in LGBTQ+ issues and game developers (R2). This activity included the second focus group I referred to above, as well as other activities to test the video game.4)A validation of the first stable version of the video game (R2) by adolescents between 12 and 15 years old. In the report we described that the target audience for the video game would be children between 9 and 15 years old, but the age ratings given based on the themes developed in the project, which was 12+ prevented us from including children under that age. 5)The first Multiplier Event (ME) in the Czech Republic that included activities for the promotion of the project in general, and of the educational guides in particular (R1) with 38 participants (30 external and 8 internal to the partnership) with different profiles such as education professionals (teachers, principals), social educators, social workers, families of children and adolescents, or researchers in the field of gender equality.6)The second ME in Estonia to disseminate the R2 in which also participated 43 people (30 external and 13 internal to the partnership) with different participant profiles such as education professionals, psychologists, workers involved with youth and children, and people belonging to the video game industry.7)In addition, for the proper progress of the project, the association organized four transnational meetings that were held in Burgos, Prague, Valencia and Tallinn, as well as 13 online meetings (8 more than planned). In addition to these meetings of all the members, there were also meetings between some of the partners to carry out tasks related, for example, to the development of the storyline of the video game.<< Results >>During the three years of the project, the two results included in the proposal have been elaborated. The R1 consists of two educational guides that can help educators (formal environment) and families (non-formal environment) to educate children and adolescents between 9 and 15 years old on issues related to sexual and gender diversity. Both guides are published in a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE; https://shorturl.at/7AV5M) which can be accessed free of charge. The guides can also be downloaded in pdf format, and are available in different languages (English, Spanish, Estonian, Czech and Romanian).The guides are based on the bio-psycho-social approach, as well as non-directive and active pedagogies to discuss key issues in the classroom or at home. The main contents are framed around attitudes, prejudices and stereotypes, dealing with topics such as equality, sexual and gender identity, violence, communication, pornography consumption, love or micro-aggressions. The information included in both guides starts from the same conceptual basis, so there is a part of the content that is the same. Another part is specific to each of them, including different sub-sections depending on the target population, as well as adapted examples.Gender education (or ‘sex education’) has traditionally been understood as a ‘set of medical advice’ mainly on contraception and sexually transmitted infections, rather than a comprehensive education that brings together psycho-emotional, social and self-care skills; an approach that we use in the guides, and which is one of the innovative aspects of the GaminGEE project. This result allows for increased knowledge and awareness of the aforementioned issues, while addressing sexuality in a comprehensive way, using the gender perspective in formal education, and continuing it in non-formal education at home. The R2 is an adventure videogame based on an intersectional sexuality-gender perspective, which contributes to gender equality education, called “The Future Is Ours”. The video game, which in the submission application was intended for children and adolescents between 9 and 15 years old, is finally aimed at children and adolescents from 12 years old due to the limitations of the age classification derived from some of the themes included (some of a sexual nature). The game's plot allows you to start working on some of the contents included in the guides from a playful perspective. Thanks to a mystery element that the person playing the game will be motivated to solve, the video game allows to raise some dilemmas related to gender identity, discrimination or self-care, which can later be dealt with in greater depth thanks to R1. To advance in the video game, the person playing must make decisions and depending on them (if they are more or less inclusive) they will obtain a score that will make it easier or more difficult to advance and complete the story. The video game is available for download on the STEAM digital shop (https://shorturl.at/Z5jr8) that allows you to play it on PC, and can be played in English, Estonian, Romanian, Czech and Spanish. The association developed a tutorial that includes a description of how to play the game both in English and in the other languages of the partners. This tutorial can be accessed from STEAM (https://shorturl.at/Lyp5w) and also through the project website (https://shorturl.at/dwBwf).In addition to the two main results, the following activities have been carried out during the three years of the project:C1: a learning, teaching and training activity called ‘Playing the game’, which took place in Burgos (Spain), where we had the opportunity for a group of experts in the video game sector and in the field of psychology and gender equality to test the video game and propose suggestions for improvement. E1: a first multiplier event held in Prague (Czech Republic), called ‘Knowing the VLE for gender equality education’, in which we were able to disseminate R1 to professionals of different profiles related to the study of gender equality.E2: a second multiplier event held in Tallinn (Estonia), called ‘The future of gender equality education: game-based learning, role-playing and new technologies for educating emotions and affections’, where we presented the video game to the Estonian society and where we discussed, among other issues, the best strategies for integrating strategies for education on inclusiveness and gender identity in the formal curriculum.