This handbook has been developed in the context of the ProActiveEU Life-Long Learning project, which fosters creative teaching practices through the use of educational games (a.k.a. Game-Based Learning or just GBL). The project aims to create learning contexts where teachers from different educational levels apply creativity in designing their own GBL scenarios using authoring tools, similar to other visual applications that are used to create educational content. The educational value of the games is enhanced by the integration of different learning metaphors in their design.

ProActive provides teachers with two game editors: EUTOPIA a 3D virtual environment that supports collaborative learning and role playing, and , a tool for developing 2D educational games. Teachers will be designing their own GBL scenarios in 18 pilot sites in four different countries (Italy, Romania, Spain and U.K.).

This handbook is a practical guide for teachers and educators at all levels interested in designing and implementing their own GBL scenarios. A lot has been argued in favor of GBL in recent years, but teachers still find it difficult to integrate this approach in their current teaching practice.

This document tries to be a practical guide to help teachers in using games under the vision of the ProActive project and its three main principles: creativity, learning metaphors and GBL.