In this project we intend to develop an innovation by creating an app that lets learners experience an interactive detective story. The idea is that learners work together as a team of detectives and interrogate a number of witnesses or suspects. In the interrogation phase each learner works alone and needs to focus on details that are revealed. Since the learners are in the role of detectives they can also choose which questions to ask. However, they only have a limited time with each witness. In the next step the learners need to combine the information they gathered by communicating with each other. This will train their communication skills but also social aspects, as well as teamwork and other soft skills. In addition to the skill training we will also focus on informal language learning with the aim of creating a solution that is highly effective in its learning results.
In recent years serious games have shown an interesting potential to motivate young learners. However, so far very few well-working examples exist that successfully combine high motivation and fun with a solid learning experience. For this reason it is necessary to continue the study of new game approaches that integrate learning content seamlessly into the gameplay.