Grenoble Ecole de Management's new serious game « 21 days, The Innovation Quest » has been awarded the Silver Award in the Cultivating Curiosity category of Re-imagine Education, the international competition rewarding educational innovative initiatives, in San Francisco. 800 GEM students are currently playing the online version of the game, presented as an Advent Calendar, in introduction to their Management of Innovation module. The aim is to learn how to innovate in 21 days, with limited resources, thanks to 15 minutes of daily game-play. The board version of the game was played in September by 50 executive education participants and GEM staff members.
"Researchers believe that a minimum of 21 days is necessary to establish a routine. We based ourselves on this principle to design a 6-hour long training program set-up as a game,” explains Hélène Michel, Gamification & Innovation Professor at GEM and project initiator.
An improved online version
"The board version has been played by executive education managers from Groupama (20) and SUEZ (10) as well as by 20 new GEM staff members. Their feedback gave us the opportunity to improve the serious game and go a step further. A new online version was designed and is now used by 800 GEM students in the 2nd Year of the Grande Ecole Program from November 19th to December 20th, 2019, in their Management of Innovation module. As well as opening their chocolate advent calendar this month, they open our daily email and must accomplish the quest of the day in approximately 15 minutes," continues Professor Michel.
The story was adapted to a student population, with a more junior profile, in order for them to identify more easily with the characters. There is also a stronger focus on the limited resources. As the missions take place, students fill in a diary which will be assessed.
At the end of the quest, they will have experimented with six main approaches to innovation that they should be able to apply on a daily basis.
With the support of GEM, the serious game was developed within the OpenLab Ideas Laboratory®, in collaboration with Low Tech Lab, SUEZ, and the GEM’s research Chair “Public Trust in Health”.
