CONTEXTThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread educational disruption, with school closures in 186 countries affecting 1.2 billion students. Almost overnight, remote learning emerged as the new educational norm, making a blend of digital and in-person learning solutions a necessity. Teachers needed solutions to ensure that students’ time a way from the classroom didn’t mean time away from learning. Virtual classrooms have replaced physical classrooms and teachers embraced technology to continue their work. However, it is not straightforward or even possible sometimes to make up for activities which until now have significant educational value when carried out physically, such as collaborative problem solving. Problem-based learning enables students to embrace complexity, find relevance and joy in their learning, and enhance their capacity to make creative contributions to real-world problems. There is a need to educate the teachers on how to administer remote PBL experiences through digital learning channels so as to ensure students continue to harness the benefits of collaborative problem solving as they used to prior to the advent of COVID-19.OBJECTIVEThe project aims to help HEIs with pedagogical faculties in supporting the use of digital learning spaces by European educators as a means to help them continue to deliver through virtual classrooms Problem Based Learning activities that were until now offered only through physical collaboration in classrooms. By helping HE institutions with pedagogical departments to extend their academic curricula with practical approaches towards remote PBL in combination with Game Based Learning, EPITOME aims to improve the current situation with respect to the teachers ability to deliver remotely, through virtual classrooms, the same quality of education they delivered in physical classrooms until now. PARTICIPANTSA software company with significant experience in the design and development of ICT-enabled solutions, a university with a pedagogical faculty focused on the integration of digital technologies to the teaching process, a parent's association of a primary school which invests in STEM, an EU wide network supporting digital learning in all forms of E&T, a technical consultancy working with HEIs for designing digital solutions and a instructional design company with Minecraft experience.ACTIVITIES- Elaboration of methods for delivering PBL experiences through Minecraft- Preparation of PBL specifications for transcribing PBL experiences to scenarios in digital learning environments- Design of PBL challenges- Development of a handbook for practitioners to implement PBL experiences in Minecraft- Creation of a custom Minecraft World- Implementation of a resource pack and mods to support the execution of the challenges- Packaging of all items under a Minecraft collection, the EPITOME Collection to be made available through the Minecraft Marketplace- Generating awareness about the outputs among the academic and school communities through multiplier events - Supporting the uptake of the EPITOME Handbook by the academic and school communities and the growth of a vivid community of adopters through the creation, population and management of the EPITOME Foundry virtual space- Promoting the use of the EPITOME Minecraft Collection available through the marketplaceMETHODOLOGYAn iterative methodology: three versions of the results are produced, one in each iteration. After each iteration the results are tested/validated and based on the conclusions the next iteration is planned.RESULTSMethods for delivering remote PBL experiences in Minecraft, specifications for creating PBL experiences in Minecraft, PBL challenges, custom world, resource pack and mod to support the challenges, handbook to support the use of Minecraft for remote PBL, instructional material, a dedicated virtual space to support use of project results by a community of adopters.TARGET GROUPIn the life of the project: HEIs, mainly those with Pedagogical faculties, professionals working with children (mainly 8 - 13 years). Apart from these direct target groups, the beneficiaries comprise also indirect target groups such as schools, children's/parents associations and organisations, policy makers and educational stakeholders deciding about subjects covered by school curricula, parents, content developers, etc. After the life of the project and subject to the delivery of concrete results, more target groups become relevant, such as companies active in educational technology, universities with pedagogical/engineering departments, educational bodies, STEAM CentresBENEFITSContribute towards building digital education readiness among the school community by enhancing the academic curricula of HEIs with pedagogical faculties so as to support the teachers of tomorrow for using efficiently digital learning spaces such as Minecraft for delivering remote Problem Based Learning Experience.

<< Objectives >>AI adventures in Minecraft is about raising awareness on the continuously growing importance of Artificial Intelligence for our societies, its associated opportunities and challenges. It is aiming at a) providing an engaging hands-on approach to learning, b) filling the gap between the place given to AI in our societies and the low awareness amongst the general population. The project will use Minecraft, a video game as an innovative teaching tool already used in various educational projects.<< Implementation >>Deliver to the teaching community an educational package comprising: - 4/5 units of pedagogical material providing a practical demonstration of how AI serves subjects of choice based on the AI4K12 education guidelines- 4/5 exemplary challenges in Minecraft based on these lessons- A tailored Minecraft world packaging the challenges in escape rooms which educators can use to address AI concepts in a classroom or remote learning environment.<< Results >>Tangible Results : -A course based on the AI4K12 guidelines, introducing the AI concepts and its practical applications-A Minecraft world delivering educational challenges to enhance knowledge of AI and provide an innovative way of learning-The foundry : a virtual place to help grow a community of usersOutcomes :-Disseminate knowledge about AI concepts and its applications-Enhance digital skills of educators and students, fill the gap between the need for AI awareness and its availability