Asemaan Group,

(Systems Thinking Research Center of Sharif University of Technology)

Edutainment as a possible facilitator for Iranian social development:

Bringing Systems Thinking to Iranian Schools through Games and Stories

Edutainment as a

possible facilitator for

Iranian social development

I. Who are We?

Mission, history, present project and vision of

Asemaan Group

II. What is Asemaan’s output?

The current project of bringing systems thinking

to Iranian schools through games and stories

III. How to help Asemaan?

Discuss, criticize and provide feedback on ways

To support and empower “Asemaan”

Performance of Team/

organizations

Individual skills

decision-making and

performanceof individuals

Children’s Education

Social development

I. I. Asemaan Mission

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

I. I. Asemaan Mission

Asemaan Mission: to provide Iranian children with some of the most decisive but unfortunately less-emphasized skills through edutainment.

Unfortunately some of the most

essential skills are less-

emphasized in current Iranian

educational system

Since today’s children will be

tomorrow’s managers and decision

makers, it is our duty to educate a

capable young generation.

Essential individual skillsFuture decision-makers

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

I. I. Asemaan Mission

Asemaan Mission: to provide Iranian children with some of the most decisive but unfortunately less-emphasized skills through edutainment.

Unfortunately some of the most

essential skills are less-

emphasized in current Iranian

educational system

Essential individual skillsFuture planners

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

Since today’s children will be

tomorrow’s managers and decision

makers, it is our duty to educate a

capable young generation.

6

I. II. Background and Future Plans

20062002 20042000 2010 201620142008

2001: Finalizing

the mission

2012 20202018

Phase II: Developing output and

organization

Phase I: Formation stage

2007: Starting the professional activities

15

Phase III: Developing output and

organization

0

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

7

20062002 20042000 2010 201620142008

2001: Finalizing

the mission

2012 20202018

Phase II: Developing output and

organization

Phase I: Formation stage

2007: Starting the professional activities

2008: Establishing the S.TH.R.C

at Sharif University

2009:Full fund by Mossalanejad

Cultural Foundation

15

100

Phase III: Developing output and

organization

0

10

2009-10: Pilot in 3 schools

(for 250 students)

2010-12: Evaluation & finalizing the S.Th.

educational package

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

I. II. Background and Future Plans

8

I. II. Background and Future Plans

20062002 20042000 2010 201620142008

2001: Finalizing

the mission

2012 20202018

Phase II: Developing output and

organization

Phase I: Formation stage

2007: Starting the professional activities

2008: Establishing the S.TH.R.C

at Sharif University

2009: Full fund by Mossalanejad

Cultural Foundation

15

100

Phase III: Developing output and

organization

0

10

2009-10: Pilot in 3 schools

(for 250 students)

2010-12: Evaluation & finalizing the S.Th.

educational package

2012-16: Implementation in the

schools of Tehran

2016-20: Promotion in 5 other

province of IRAN

2012-15: Research stage of life skills

educational package

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

Edutainment as a

possible facilitator for

Iranian social development

I. Who are We?

Mission, history, present project and vision of

Asemaan Group

II. What is Asemaan’s output?

The current project of bringing systems thinking

to Iranian schools through games and stories

III. How to help Asemaan?

Discuss, criticize and provide feedback on ways

To support and empower “Asemaan”

II.I. Importance and reasons

II.II. The research process

II.III. The output for schools

II. I. Reasons and Importance

Importance of system thinking Significance of Entertainment

System thinking help

people to be better

planners in both

their personal and

social lives.

Entertainment is one

of the most effective

ways of interaction

with children.

System

thinking

through

games &

stories

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

II. II. Research Process

Research Prototype Sample Study Evaluation

Introduction to

systems thinking

Games Stories

Augmented aspects

(family, school, evaluatio

n)

I

IIIII

IV

Systems thinking

Children

Psychology

Education

Edutainment

Social marketing

Teachers’

feedback

Educational

effectiveness

Parents feedback

Students’

feedback

(Entertainment

effectiveness)

o

o

Three schools

(245 students)

10-12 year old

Similar socio-

economy class

Comparable IQ

range

Feedback for improvement

2007-09 Feb 08-Sep 09 Sep 09-Apr 10 May 10-Sep 10

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

II. III. Output for Schools

Other systems

Structure

Process

Bringing Systems Thinking to Iranian Schools through Games & Stories

Family

School administration

Other courses

Games & Stories

Training of teachers

Planning

Education

Feedback & Evaluation

Follow-up

Social life

Evaluation method

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

II. III. Output for Schools

Other systems

Structure

Process

Bringing Systems Thinking to Iranian Schools through Games & Stories

Family

School administration

Other courses

Games & Stories

Training of teachers

Planning

Education

Feedback & Evaluation

Follow-up

Social life

Evaluation method

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

Preparation

pre-test

Modification

Planning

Post-test

Feedback analysis

Games sessions

Stories sessions

II. III. Output for Schools / Process

1 2

4 3

Every Summer

1

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

Preparation

pre-test

Modification

Planning

Post-test

Feedback analysis

Games sessions

Stories sessions

1 2

4 3

2

Every September

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

II. III. Output for Schools / Process

Preparation

pre-test

Modification

Planning

Post-test

Feedback analysis

Games sessions

Stories sessions

1 2

4 3

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

II. III. Output for Schools / Process

The systems thinking class

includes three sections:

1- playing a game / watching a

cartoon

2- A class discussion about

the game/story points

3- Share similar/ related

observation of students

3

Preparation

pre-test

Modification

Planning

Post-test

Feedback analysis

Games sessions

Stories sessions

1 2

4 3

Every Spring

feedbacks

from students,

School-teachers,

Asemaan teachers,

parents and experts

is analyzed

4

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

II. III. Output for Schools / Process

Preparation

pre-test

Modification

Planning

Post-test

Feedback analysis

Games sessions

Stories sessions

1 2

4 3

Invite to join Asemaan

(6 years after the program)

Planning

Follow-up

Feedback about outcomes

6

5

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

II. III. Output for Schools / Process

Preparation

pre-test

Modification

Planning

Post-test

Feedback analysis

Games sessions

Stories sessions

1 2

4 3

Invite to join Asemaan

(6 years after the program)

Planning

Follow-up

Feedback about outcomes

6

5

II. III. Output for Schools / Process

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

II. III. Output for Schools

Other systems

Structure

Process

Bringing Systems Thinking to Iranian Schools through Games & Stories

Family

School administration

Other courses

Games & Stories

Training of teachers

Planning

Education

Feedback & Evaluation

Follow-up

Social life

Evaluation method

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

II. III. Output for Schools / Structure

Introduction to systems thinking

• The first step for all volunteers

• Asemaan hand-note

• Asemaan workshops

Educational games and stories

• Games: - Group games

- Tabletop or role-playing

• Stories: - Animation cartoons

• Games and stories

• Questionnaires

Evaluation method

Asemaan intend to equip and empower

teachers to play the main role in

teaching systems thinking at school.

Training of Teachers

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

II. III. Output for Schools / Structure

Introduction to systems thinking

• The first step for all volunteers

• Asemaan hand-note

• Asemaan workshops

• Games and stories

• Questionnaires

Evaluation method

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

Asemaan intend to equip and empower

teachers to play the main role in

teaching systems thinking at school.

Training of Teachers

Educational games and stories

• Games: - Group games

- Tabletop or role-playing

• Stories: - Animation cartoons

One of the key

potentials of

Asemaan

II. III. Output for Schools / Structure

Introduction to systems thinking

• The first step for all volunteers

• Asemaan hand-note

• Asemaan workshops

• Games and stories

• Questionnaires

Evaluation method

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

Asemaan intend to equip and empower

teachers to play the main role in

teaching systems thinking at school.

Training of Teachers

One of the key

challenges of

Asemaan

Educational games and stories

• Games: - Group games

- Tabletop or role-playing

• Stories: - Animation cartoons

One of the key

potentials of

Asemaan

II. III. Output for Schools

Other systems

Structure

Process

Bringing Systems Thinking to Iranian Schools through Games & Stories

Family

School administration

Other courses

Games & Stories

Training of teachers

Planning

Education

Feedback & Evaluation

Follow-up

Social life

Evaluation method

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

II. III. Output for Schools / Interaction with Other Systems

Society

Family

Children

School

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

II. III. Output for Schools / Interaction with Other Systems

Society

Family

Children

School

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

- A number of sessions in

Parent-Teacher-Interviews

- A multimedia CD (will be

available by 2011)

- Systems thinking workshops

at Sharif University (for

interested parent/teachers)

II. III. Output for Schools / Interaction with Other Systems

Society

Family

Children

School

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

- All of the Asemaan services are free of charge for schools

- School administration: closed interaction with/feedback from

- For interested teachers: systems thinking workshops &

interaction in modification of the output

- Samples of systems thinking concepts in other courses

(will be available by 2012)

Asemaan intend to equip and empower

teachers to play the main role in teaching

systems thinking at school.

II. III. Output for Schools / Interaction with Other Systems

Society

Family

Children

School

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

- Students’ assignment:

their observation about the

systems thinking concepts

in their life

Edutainment as a

possible facilitator for

Iranian social development

I. Who are We?

Mission, history, present project and vision of

Asemaan Group

II. What is Asemaan’s output?

The current project of bringing systems thinking

to Iranian schools through games and stories

III. How to help Asemaan?

Discuss, criticize and provide feedback on ways

To support and empower “Asemaan”

Brief review: A 10-minute video report

30

III. How to help Asemaan?/ Is it worth?

• Highly motivated members who want to

shift/peruse their career/education in related

fields

• A diverse and multidisciplinary human

resource

• Original and comprehensive products (such

as systems thinking introduction hand-note,

games, stories document)

• Network with the most professional experts

and most prestigious schools

Asemaan potentials

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

31

III. How to help Asemaan?/ Does it require?

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

• Ample feedback from different points of

view (systems thinking, education,

entertainment, administration)

• Academic collaboration/support in

order to access to up-to-date knowledge

• Financial support for the second phase

and providing academic scholarships

Challenges facing Asemaan

32

III. How to help Asemaan?/ The Most Constructive Methods

The most constructive supports (to our concept)

- Feedback (about either Asemaan’s methods or outputs)

- Join our projects

I. Who are We? II. Current Project III. How to Help Asemaan?

• Highly motivated members who want to

shift/peruse their career/education in related

fields

• A diverse and multidisciplinary human

resource

• Original and comprehensive products (such

as systems thinking introduction hand-note,

games, stories document)

• Network with the most professional experts

and most prestigious schools

Asemaan potentials

• Ample feedback from different points of

view (systems thinking, education,

entertainment, administration)

• Academic collaboration/support in

order to access to up-to-date knowledge

• Credit capital in order to help Asemaan

improves its organization

• Financial support for the second phase

and providing academic scholarships

Challenges facing Asemaan

Thank you