Ridefinendo le dinamiche di coesione sociale: potenzialità, criticità e sviluppi da un caso di ricerca basato su un «Serious Game»

The main aim of this work is to present the research design, the main evidences and further developments coming from a fruitful research experience: the coordination of a EU funded project named SMILEY (Social Mindedness In Learning community - www.smileyschool.eu). During this experience the sociological research team had the possibility to connect theory and practice working with over 100 schools all over Europe (Italy, Poland, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom) to help teachers to experience the positive value of difference inside the classroom dealing with anti-social behaviours in an innovative and fashionable way. The fundamental aim of the project was to transform the differences that exist between pupils into a resource rather than a barrier to integration. This was achieved through an e-learning platform that hosts an ERPG (Educational Role-Playing Game), connecting students and teachers from the partner countries. Moreover, SMILEY represented a starting point for further researches (SMILEY 2.0) based upon methodological options of the action-research strategy. The main aims of the project were: a) to promote the use of ICT in order to empirically control an effective conflict-resolution approach preventing exclusion practices in different educational contexts. According to this aim, SMILEY was designed with the target of enabling teachers to gain new skills on how to deal with social problems and violent attitudes of students through a new methodology that permit to observe the social awareness dynamics rooted in edutainment (education and entertainment) practices; b) to encourage students’ understanding of social rules. In this context, the students/player enjoying the game is involved in a composite/blended learning experience that fosters social and cross-cultural awareness at school and in daily life. The SMILEY experience aims to shed an operative light upon this core issue describing the project, its founding elements and its interlocutory results.

L’obiettivo di questo lavoro è presentare il disegno della ricerca, le principali evidenze empiriche e gli sviluppi più recenti di una fruttuosa esperienza di ricerca-azione transnazionale che discende dal coordinamento biennale di un progetto LLP COMENIUS dal titolo SMILEY (Social Mindedness in LEarning communitY). I principali scopi del progetto possono essere così sintetizzati: Proporre e promuovere l’impiego innovativo delle ICT nei processi di socializzazione e formazione a scuola; Indagare le controverse dinamiche di elaborazione della diversità nella vita quotidiana in collegamento con la pro-socialità; Progettare e implementare una piattaforma digitale interattiva attraverso cui realizzare una ricerca-azione orientata a stimolare e rilevare l’utilizzo delle regole sociali da parte degli utenti;