Why VET Needs Innovative Tools: Game-Based Learning for Sustainable Skills
Dracon Rules Design Studio hosted the first Learning, Teaching and Training Activity of the Erasmus+ project Co-Create EcoTrade: Collaborative learning for sustainable VET education in Karditsa, Greece. The activity, titled LTTA 1 – Co-creation International Workshop, brought together partners from Spain, Greece and Italy to work collaboratively on the development of the EcoTrade educational board game.
The workshop was designed as a hands-on co-creation process involving trainers, educators and students from the partner organisations: Fundación Instituto Técnico Industrial – ITM Miranda from Spain, Dracon Rules Design Studio from Greece, and Training 2000 from Italy. The aim was to gather real educational insights and transform them into a board game that can support learning in Vocational Education and Training.
During the workshop, participants explored the potential of game-based learning as an innovative teaching method. They discussed how board games can make complex topics, such as international trade, sustainability, green logistics and environmental responsibility, more accessible and engaging for learners. The activity also encouraged participants to reflect on how students can learn through cooperation, decision-making, strategy and discussion.
The first part of the workshop focused on introducing the main themes of the project: international trade, sustainable transport, environmental impact and green skills. Participants exchanged ideas about how these topics could be translated into game mechanics, cards, routes, player actions and learning scenarios.
In the following sessions, participants worked on the structure of the EcoTrade game. They discussed possible shipment routes, types of goods, transport options, company upgrades and unexpected events that could affect trade operations. These ideas helped shape the educational content of the game and ensured that the board game would reflect real challenges faced in logistics and international commerce.
A key aspect of LTTA 1 was collaboration. By working in mixed international groups, participants brought different perspectives from their countries, educational systems and professional backgrounds. This process helped ensure that EcoTrade would be adaptable to different VET contexts and useful for both educators and learners.
The workshop contributed directly to the project’s objective of creating an inclusive and innovative educational tool. By involving educators and students in the design process, the game was developed with the needs of its future users in mind.
LTTA 1 represented an important step in transforming the EcoTrade idea into a concrete educational board game. The results of the workshop supported the creation of a prototype that would later be tested, refined and prepared for classroom use.
Through this activity, Dracon Rules Design Studio continued its mission of promoting board games as powerful tools for education, inclusion and skills development. The EcoTrade project shows how playful learning can support modern VET education and help students better understand the connection between trade decisions, sustainability and the future of work.
