Project EXCALIBUR

EXpanding Content And Language Integrated learning through BUilding a sustainable future in Realtime


Combining CLIL and LOTE with virtual 3D sandbox worlds to find solutions for real-life sustainability challenges


Project email:
excalibur.project[at]outlook.com


  • Sustainable buildings and their surroundings
  • Sustainable energy solutions
  • Sustainable traffic solutions 
  • Sustainable food solutions
  • Sustainable recycling solutions
  • Sustainable nature surroundings and supporting the biodiversity of the environment
  • Sustainable schools
  • Sustainable hospitals
  • Sustainable tourism
  • Sustainable economy & circular economy

The games used in the project:

  1. Plain world setting in Minecraft
    • Learners discuss the given (or chosen) theme(s) together and what they know beforehand about the theme(s)
    • Based on the discussions, critical reading and negotiations and
      mutual decision making, the learners will build the objects in the 3D world
    • Afterwards they describe what they have done and present their work.
      Additionally, they also report what they have learned about intercultural
      communication and the sustainability theme(s) in question
  2. The SERASUM: For a better tomorrow adventure mission in Luanti
    • An immersive game adventure designed and made by Landesmedienzentrum Baden-Württemberg
    • Learners assume secret avatar identities in order to collaboratively complete missions
  3. Action based game worlds in Minecraft
    • Learners experience a ready-built world, where they encounter sustainability-related issues
    • Together the learners discuss the issues, consider possible solutions and based on a common decision, they improve the game environment
    • Afterwards reporting tasks
  4. Making a Learning Story
    • A tool to help teachers with structured planning of a 3D building project
    • A narrative written by the teacher about the activity, to be carried out by the learners, creating the context in which the learners act
    • Includes 5 constants and 7 stages




Arvola, P., & Pihkala-Posti, L. 2024. Kokeellisesta tiedonhausta apua kielten ja sisältöjen opetukseen. Informaatiotutkimus, 43 (3-4), 63-66.
Available cost-free at: https://journal.fi/inf/issue/view/11200.

Pihkala-Posti, L. 2022. Authentische Interaktion mit dem Computerspiel Minecraft. Fremdsprache Deutsch 66/2022 (Thema Interaktion – digital und vernetzt), 45-52. ​
Available at: https://fremdsprachedeutschdigital.de/ce/authentische-interaktion-mit-dem-computerspiel-minecraft/detail.html.

Pihkala-Posti, L. 2022.  In der virtuellen Welt die reale Welt retten lernen. ON Lernen in der digitalen Welt 10/2022, 30-31. ​
Available at: https://www.friedrich-verlag.de/friedrich-plus/schule-paedagogik/digitale-schule/tools/in-der-virtuellen-welt-die-reale-welt-retten-lernen-12664.
 ​
Pihkala-Posti, L. 2022. Game-based Learning im Fremdsprachenunterricht. Möglichkeit fürs Training der 4Cs. Weiterbildung 04/2022, 38-41.
​Available at: https://weiterbildung-zeitschrift.de/produkt/weiterbildung-04-2022-spielend-lernen/.

Pihkala-Posti, L. & Suonio, A. 2024. 3D-videopeliprojektikoulutus. SUKOL (Finnish language teachers union) web education event 7.10.2024.
Available at: https://vimeo.com/1017493144/839a1f2216

Pihkala-Posti L. 2025. Immersiiviset 3D-pelimaailmat kielten tunneilla – iloa, luovuuden intoa sekä erinomaista eriyttämistä.
In: O. Veivo, & S. Mäkinen (Eds.), Teknologiapedagogiikkaa kielten opetukseen. Turun yliopisto, 49-58.
Available cost-free at: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-02-0083-1.

Wössner, S. 2023. Das Projekt “SERASUM: For a better tomorrow”: Game-based-Learning-Abenteuer zur Gestaltung der Zukunft (des Lernens). Weiterbildung 06/2023, 38-43.
Available at: https://weiterbildung-zeitschrift.de/produkt/weiterbildung-06-2023-wege-in-die-zukunft-das-lernen-der-lehrenden/.

Wössner, S. 2024. Crafting Sustainable Futures – Evaluation des zukunftsorientierten Lernabenteuers SERASUM: For a better tomorrow, einer globalen Simulation in Minetest zum Thema nachhaltige Entwicklung (MSc-Thesis). Donau-Universität für Weiterbildung Krems.
Available cost-free at: https://cloud.petiteprof79.eu/s/MSc_Thesis.

Wössner, S. 2024. Everyday Heroes: Empowering lifelong learners through SERASUM’s game-based adventure. MAD (MEDIA, ARTS AND DESIGN) ANTHOLOGY III: What if we can be heroes, just for one day?, 135-145.
Available cost-free at: https://door.donau-uni.ac.at/detail/o:5359.

Wössner, S. 2025. Future:Guide Bildung: Zukunft gestalten lernen. The Future:Project AG. ISBN: 978-3-910992-20-7.
Available at: https://shop.thefutureproject.de/products/future-guide-bildung.


The Excalibur project is supported by our official financed partners listed below.

Additionally, we collaborated with schools and teachers from Finland, Norway, Germany, France, Czechia and Italy.

Tampere University was created in January 2019 when University of Tampere and Tampere University of Technology merged to create a new foundation-based university. With 3,550 staff members and over 20,000 students it constitutes one of the biggest universities in Scandinavia. The research groups and projects conduct multidisciplinary research across institutional boundaries. The research undertaken in its Centres of Excellences (CoE) includes games and culture studies. Tampere University research strategy focuses on the essential research challenges of the information society and aims to produce information that is widely applicable both in developing new information systems or experience based interactive media products and in understanding the behaviour of the people working with information and media.

More information: tuni.fi/en

Project contact(s): Laura Pihkala-Posti & Paavo Arvola

Main actor(s): Laura Pihkala-Posti, Paavo Arvola, Aleksi Kinnunen & Elina Hongisto

Tampereen klassillinen lukio, The Classical High School of Tampere has approximately 640 students and about 50 staff members. It has a special status as a national STEM profile school, offering a wide selection of special courses and a specialized natural science study programme. Several of the specialization courses are multidisciplinary and are organized in cooperation with the University of Tampere and Tampere University of Applied Sciences. This cooperation gives the students a good opportunity to concretely familiarize themselves with the newest achievements in the field. The Classical High School of Tampere also offers a wide selection of foreign languages, such as German, French, Spanish, Russian, Latin and a basic course for Italian. The language program also includes the Deutsches Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz, an official language certificate for the entry in German universities.

More information: tampere.fi/en/tampere-classical-upper-secondary-school

Main actor(s): Laura Pihkala-Posti, Annukka Suonio, Elina Lappi & Tuija Laurikka

The Arctic University of Norway (UiT) is a medium-sized research university that contributes to knowledge-based development at regional, national and international level. Having gone through three merges with different university colleges, UiT is currently a multi-campus university spread throughout Northern Norway. It’s the northernmost university of the world and the third largest in Norway, with approximately 15500 students and 3300 staff members. Many of UiT´s research centres and study programmes reflect the specific character of the Arctic, with key research focusing on topics such as polar environment, climate research and indigenous people. UiT is also a founding member of the University of the Arctic, an international network of 160 study and research institutions of the circumpolar region.

More information: en.uit.no/startsida

Main actor(s): Beate Lindemann

TeacherGaming is an edtech company focusing on helping teachers and other educators to use video games and new media in their everyday work. It is one of the pioneers of games in education, having created some of the biggest impact video game solutions in the world such as MinecraftEdu, which has been in use in over 15,000 US schools alone. The company was founded in 2010 with the mission of lowering the threshold of game-based learning for teachers and students without sacrificing pedagogy. Founded by teachers, TeacherGaming’s focus has always been on the role of the teachers in the learning process with games. Currently it has an extensive network of over 50 game developers and thousands of schools in over 80 countries.

More information: teachergaming.com

Main actor(s): Mikael Uusi-Mäkelä & Santeri Koivisto

Università Telematica degli Studi (IUL) is a unique online university in Italy established in 2005 by public authorities. It has been supporting the evolution of the Italian educational system presenting itself as a “lifelong learning university” and providing online university courses (three year degrees, specialization degrees, master’s degrees, post-graduate degrees) addressed to educational staff, working students and young students. IUL provides also refresher courses addressed to technicians and professionals who wish to acquire knowledge and develop competences relevant to their working field. The university has a strong expertise in e-learning and has recently developed a new learning model, based on professional video-lectures and on the right balance between delivery of content and interaction among the students and with teachers/tutors.

More information: iuline.it/en

Main actor(s): Andrea Benassi & Letizia Cinganotto

The Hittorf-Gymnasium high school is an accredited MINT-EC bilingual school and a part of the “Europaschule NRW” -network. Since 2019 it’s also part of the IBO, offering both the German Abitur, as well as the International Baccalaureate. With currently over 1000 students and approximately 110 teachers, Hittorf-Gymnasium is one of the bigger high schools in its area. One of the main focuses of the Hittorf-Gymnasium is bilinguality, in addition to the early promotion of scientific knowledge and skills. In the field of STEM subjects, the school is supported by partners such as RWE, Germany’s second largest energy company. The school’s annual “Europa Tage” (European days), deepen the students’ awareness of being part of the European community and offer students the opportunity to focus on for example language learning, multiculturalism, international relations and decision-making processes.

More information: hittorf-gymnasium.de (in German)

Main actor(s): Anika Klopmeier

The Landesmedienzentrum Baden-Württemberg (LMZ), along with regional city and district media centers, offer educational and technical advice, continuing education, quality-checked media, support for school networks, technical support for media use and procurement, and lend out media technology. On lmz-bw.de, interested readers can find expert information on media education and youth media protection. The LMZ also provides a network solution for schools, access to teaching media via the SESAM media library, media pedagogical programs (e.g., mentor programs), training for contemporary teaching and learning, and the development of innovative learning concepts.

More information: lmz-bw.de (in German)

Main actor(s): Stephanie Wössner & Frederike Schneider-Vielsäcker


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