Developing a Platform for using Game-Based Learning in Vocational Education and Training

The importance of Game-Based Learning (GBL) for student learning is increasingly recognized as beneficial for engagement, creativity and motivation. While further research is needed to explore the multi-faceted tenets of GBL, vocational education teachers may experience difficulties in finding appropriate and relevant materials as well as applying GBL methods in their classroom. This paper presents the development of a platform that VET teachers can use to find, create and share GBL teaching resources. The Erasmus+ project GATE:VET is creating a platform, consisting of an online wiki and a mobile application, that supports educational professionals to understand theoretical and practical aspects of GBL, with the goal of enabling these teachers to design and implement GBL activities in their practice. This paper highlights some of the challenges and strategies for solving these issues when consolidating varied requirements into one platform to create an accessible, user-friendly and relevant point of departure for using GBL, with emphasis on the appropriate level of complexity when describing the theory of GBL and linking it to practical examples.