Okay, nerd alert. I am, amongst other things a board game collector/player (and yes, that also includes card games and wargames). Some are better than others, usually because they are simpler to play, yet offer different experiences and greater opportunities to apply strategy. At the most basic level they can provide a sense of achievement, whether that’s filling in the last square on a sudoku or being the only person in a pub quiz who knows that Marc Bolan’s birth name was Marc Feld (get in!).
Some times as lecturers we’d like our students to be more motivated, to engage more, to learn more, to apply more, to demonstrate more, to communicate, collaborate, achieve….. and gamification is one way of doing that. Whether it’s game show quizzes (come see my 100 Smartie drop), resource distribution (using paper and beads), supply chain management and quality control (using Stickle bricks), creativity (using Lego), 3D modelling (using Play-Doh), referencing (using escape rooms) or STEM subjects (using monster building cards). Students enjoy the novelty, it can be immersive and above all it can make (dry) subjects fun.
Merry Christmas to one and all (just try not to fall out with the family over that annual game of Monopoly).
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