Over 450 teenagers from six schools in Spain and Germany have validated the new serious video game developed within the framework of the European project SEL4@LL, which concludes this December after three years of work. The serious game aims to strengthen the socio-emotional skills of European teenagers aged 12 to 15 to improve their well-being and was presented this month in Valencia as one of the main results of the project.
A team of researchers from the Graphics and Multimedia Computing Group at the ai2 Institute of the UPV, the unique project’s technological partner, was responsible for developing the platform in collaboration with psychology professionals from the Universitat de València (Spain), the Universität Greifswald (Germany) and the Universitat Degli Studi Di Perugia (Italy). The videogame, called “Portals of Growth”, starts with an initial scenario that recreates a city where the user (represented by an avatar) can move through various locations: streets, gardens, shops, their own home, the school they attend, etc. From that school, the player can access different worlds through portals. Each world presents a series of situations to face, and completing them allows the player to achieve a specific socio-emotional goal by working on certain skills, including self-motivation, critical thinking, initiative, creativity, confidence, self-esteem, resilience, empathy, or respect.
The video game has already been tested in five Spanish schools and one German school. It is now awaiting final validations in Italy and Finland. Teachers and counselors have also participated in the validation process; through the game, they can access the data collected by the video game so that it can later be interpreted by psychology professionals.
“Portals of Growth” will soon be available in four languages: English, Italian, German, and Spanish.
José Antonio Lozano, researcher at the ai2 Institute in the Smart4@ll project, explains that
“for the development of serious games aimed at the field of psychology, it is essential to start from a deep and rigorous understanding of the issue to be addressed, as well as the traditional protocols used in its treatment. This initial process is crucial—though complex—since it involves integrating the scientific and therapeutic perspective of psychology with the technological approach inherent to interactive development. Therefore, close collaboration with professionals in the psychological field is key to translating clinical or educational needs into clear and precise technical specifications that provide a solid foundation for the development team. Once this conceptual framework is defined, the technological phase can unleash its full creative and innovative potential, leveraging, among the existing technological options (computer graphics, game engines, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, natural interfaces, etc.), those sufficient to achieve the necessary solution. The true challenge—and value—of serious games designed for psychological support lies in this balance between scientific rigor, pedagogical design, and advanced technology. In the specific case of the serious game developed for the SEL4@LL project, it is worth noting that the potential offered by computer graphics (for generating the game’s graphic content) and game engines (to integrate this content and program the game’s functionality) has been primarily used.”
▶ Watch video about the SEL4@ALL project
▶ Watch video about “Portals of Growth”