The proceedings of the international conference MetroXRAINE are online
The proceedings of the IEEE International Conference On Metrology for eXtended Reality, Artificial Intelligence and Neural Engineering are now available, which also include the contribution JOINclusion: A Mobile Game for Social Inclusion in Multicultural School Contexts, born from the collaboration of several authors coming from the University of Naples Federico II, Fondazione Mondo Digitale, Maastricht University and Odyssea Academy Greece.
The article, which presents the results of the project JOINclusion - Joint problem-solving strategy towards social inclusion of children with a migrant background, was awarded by the International Society for Service Innovation Professionals (ISSIP), as ‘Best Paper on Service Innovation 2025’, for its contribution to innovation in the service sector [see the news JOINclusion, the game that trains empathy].
Abstract. Cultural diversity is fundamental in our society and makes inclusive education a priority. Serious games offer unique ways to promote diversity in schools. JOINclusion, an Erasmus+ funded project, developed and tested a mobile game in Greece, Italy and the Netherlands. The game aims to facilitate harmonious and pro-social interactions in multicultural school contexts. It consists of two learning scenarios, each consisting of four levels, each of which addresses specific Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills. In addition, a collaborative level has been implemented, which allows children to practise the skills reinforced in the previous two scenarios. With a captivating and entertaining storyline, children have to search for magical gems scattered in the various rooms of the school and collaboratively solve social dilemmas based on the game's levels to save the school from an evil witch who intends to destroy it. In addition, an easy-to-use authoring tool was developed for school educators to generate customised materials for the collaborative level. The study presents the first results of the pilot phase of the game, evaluating its usability and educational value among children. Furthermore, by exploiting machine learning, the study examines children's game interactions to group them according to similar patterns. This grouping has the potential to predict social inclusion behaviours and identify influential features of the play interaction. Teachers can then use this information to better understand how to create an enriching play experience and a more inclusive school environment. The results revealed that students who played the game enjoyed the experience, expressed a desire to play it again and acquired new skills and knowledge. Cluster analysis revealed three interaction profiles potentially predictive of the expected behaviour and influential characteristics of the game. Overall, the results emphasise that JOINclusion provides an innovative platform for improving students' empathic skills and cultural awareness.
