Author: Sergio Alloza 

Reviewed by: Dr. Flavio Escribano

Spanish Version: Download here (bajar aquí)

The project

As an introduction, the main features of the project are presented below, although if the reader is interested in knowing more, it is recommended to check the article published in this same blog or on the project’s own website.

VERSA, Video games for Skills training (VERSA), had as its main objective to develop the soft skills of doctoral students from different members of the AURORA network of European universities. In this way, thanks to the collaboration and commitment of the rest of the team members, the Rovira i Virgili University, the University of Innsbruck and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, it was possible to design 8 training modules where doctoral students came into contact with different commercial video games previously selected for the training of soft skills. The students had to play a minimum of 12 hours per module, with a period of 2 – 3 months, in addition to participating in an online coaching session where the soft skills to be worked on and developed through group dynamics was better landed and understood. After these training modules there was also a quantitative measurement layer where various standardised tests previously validated by the scientific community were applied to measure soft skills before and after each module.

The following table shows the specific details of each module:

	Video game	Soft Skill	Test
Module 1	Portal 2	Cognitive Flexibility	I-ADAPT-M
Module 2	Cities:Skylines	Creativity	The Imaginative Capability Scale
Module 3	Anomaly 2	Critical Thinking	Test of Critical Thinking
Module 4	Train Valley	Complex Problem Solving	Life Skills Development Scale
Module 5	Fallout Shelter	People/Team Management	Kostick
Module 6	Minion Masters	Time Management	Time Management Questionnaire
Module 7	Gems of Wars	Judgement and Decision Making	Life Skills Development Scale
Module 8	Alien Swarm Reactive Drop	Goal Setting	Goal Setting Questionnaire

In this project, financed by the Science with an for Society call of the Horizon 2020 Program of the European Union, the methodology that we at Gecon.es Foundation have spent years working on and refining was applied, in relation to the measurement of soft skills through the use of commercial video games. This methodology can also be consulted through the different articles previously published.

Finally, at the end of the project, a face-to-face meeting was held at the Rovira i Virgili University, where the different members of the team together with some students from their universities came together to share experiences.

Results

The scientific community has been generating results for many years on the different benefits of playing video games, both at a cognitive, social or even emotional level. Soft skills are no exception, as there is also quite a bit of bibliography that associates their empowerment with the use of all kinds of video games.

VERSA has highlighted a general improvement in the so-called soft skills of doctoral students thanks to video game sessions, at least at the perceptual level. In addition, the emotional and motivational factor implied by the presence of video games in the field of formal education has also been analysed. Replicating also results already contrasted with this relationship.

One of the main results of the project to be highlighted is that the video game has been integrated as an agent for the identification and development of soft skills in formal education, which is not only important for the academic and innovation world in education, but also has an impact directly in the world of work, improving the employability of the candidates and as an indirect consequence it also affects the video game industry, granting new possible uses to the digital products developed from the sector.

Approximately 160 doctoral students from the 3 universities mentioned above have participated, in a period of two years. Each student has participated in at least 3 training modules, generating a wide database to analyse and interpret.

The results, of a more quantitative nature, indicate a generalised significant improvement in the perception of the different levels of soft skills analysed, which implies that the vast majority of participants give a positive value to training in relation to the development of these skills. Some demonstrative examples are the following graphs, where in the first one it can be seen the individual improvement of module 2 and in the second the group improvement of module 4:

While the qualitative data, in a complementary way, show a general satisfaction of students and teachers involved in the project. With a completion rate of almost 80% (taking into account the technical limitations of Mac and motion sickness), the role of the video game as a playful element within the training has been highly valued, as well as the connections and experiences shared between the participants of the different universities.

At the same time, for Gecon, the application and closure of VERSA has implied the identification of potential improvements both in the methodology and in the designs and analysis of the experiments and other projects that are being carried out. Which is one more step to enrich these projects and be closer to the true potential of the video game as a tool for measuring and training soft skills.

In general, VERSA has proven the effectiveness of personalised and gamified training programs in relation to soft skills. Providing universities, other educational centres and even the organisations of the world of work, a valid tool both quantitatively and qualitatively for the enhancement of those skills that are increasingly relevant in the industry.