EcoTrade LTTA 2: Testing the Board Game in a Real VET Learning Environment
The second Learning, Teaching and Training Activity of the Erasmus+ project Co-Create EcoTrade: Collaborative learning for sustainable VET education focused on the practical testing and evaluation of the EcoTrade board game. Titled LTTA 2 – Pilot Testing and Evaluation, this activity took place in Spain and was hosted by the project coordinator, Fundación Instituto Técnico Industrial – ITM Miranda.
After the co-creation work carried out during LTTA 1, LTTA 2 represented the next important step: bringing the EcoTrade board game into a real educational environment. The purpose of the activity was to test the game with educators and students, observe how it functioned in practice, and collect feedback for final improvements.
EcoTrade was designed as a game-based learning tool for Vocational Education and Training. It focuses on international trade, sustainable transport, green skills, logistics decisions, company development and environmental impact. Through gameplay, students take the role of companies managing shipments across Europe while making strategic decisions that affect their Growth, Impact and overall performance.
During LTTA 2, participants tested the game in classroom-like conditions. Educators and students explored the rules, components and learning flow, while the project partners observed how players interacted with the game mechanics. The activity made it possible to assess whether the game was understandable, engaging and suitable for use in VET contexts.
One of the main objectives of the pilot testing was to understand how students reacted to the game. Their engagement, motivation, decision-making and understanding of sustainability topics were important elements of the evaluation process. The game allowed learners to experience the consequences of different trade and transport choices in a practical and interactive way.
Educators also played a key role in the evaluation. Their feedback helped the project team understand how EcoTrade could be integrated into lessons, how it could support teaching objectives, and what adaptations might be useful for different groups of learners. This feedback was essential for refining the rulebook, trainer’s guide and game components.
LTTA 2 also supported the project’s broader goal of empowering VET educators with innovative teaching tools. By testing the game directly with its target users, the partnership gained valuable insights into how game-based learning can make vocational subjects more engaging and meaningful.
The activity confirmed the importance of combining play with reflection. EcoTrade is not only a board game, but also a pedagogical tool that encourages discussion about sustainable business practices, environmental responsibility, logistics risks and the social and economic dimensions of trade.
The results of LTTA 2 helped prepare the game for wider dissemination and future use by VET schools, trainers and educational organisations. The activity marked a significant milestone in the project, bringing EcoTrade closer to its final form as an accessible, practical and innovative learning resource.
For Dracon Rules Design Studio, LTTA 2 was also an opportunity to continue refining the game design based on real user experience. The feedback collected during this activity contributed to improving the educational quality, usability and classroom relevance of the final EcoTrade board game.
