Game-Based Learning: Sample High School Board Game Design
Design an Educational Game
Report template: Olivia Kapell
Overview
This is HOTEL CHELSEA. This game is for high school students to broaden and practice reading and writing skills, specifically within the area of 19th and 20th C American poetry. Each space has a poet’s name and is matched with a picture card. Follow the poet’s name to the Google Doc to see what comes next. First one to Hotel Chelsea wins.
Instructional Objective
Bold words refer to IB curriculum goals
S (specific): Students develop individual and collaborative inquiry and research skills through guided historical research of 19th and 20th century American poetry. Students make connections between the interconnectedness of the reading and writing process.
M (Measurable): There is a clear beginning and ending point for the game. Students have flexibility with their reading and writing time depending on their curiosity and initiative. The teacher can monitor writing time to make sure students are staying on track.
A (Achievable): Students are able to move through the game board through self and group accountability and through pre-made Google Docs that act as jumping off points for reading and writing. Students are provided with all materials to successfully play the game: game board, individual pieces for each player to track spots, cards, computer.
R (Relevant): Students research literary works in context and discover the connections between the creative processes of reading and writing. Post-game discussions led by a teacher encourage reflection on how all writing is a reaction to tradition and historical context.
T (Time-Bound): The writing prompts have time parameters and the time is up when a student reaches Hotel Chelsea.. The teacher decides how long will be dedicated to the game during class time: for example, 30 minutes, and gives frequent reminders to students on how much time has passed/ how much is left.
Learners
Learners are high school students. The game is suitable for all years of high school and students will engage in research and writing skills based on their experience in school. Students are either English speakers or English language learners with a relatively high level (B1 or B2 minimum). Students with diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds can play- there is no one suitable demographic that this game is appropriate for.
Motivation
One motivational factor is winning: being the first to get to the end of the board (Hotel Chelsea) based on the dice rolling. This chance factor motivates students because the result is unpredictable. Another motivating factor is having free reign with research. Students are given the opportunity to independently look into poets’ historical and literary context without having a teacher micromanage this experience. A third motivational factor is the time-based element. The short bursts of writing are contained and also flexible.
My hope is that this game makes the reading and writing process more enjoyable through giving students agency while proceeding through a guided process. I think this game would be a new experience for students, however the actions of rolling dice and following Google Docs are familiar and easy steps to follow. The subject matter is difficult and could be very interesting for some students but not as interesting for others. If students are not compelled by writing, they may be through reading and discovering new information. If they are not compelled with reading the poems, they may be excited by the restraints of the hour-glass and moving forward on the board. For this reason, I think there are different points of engagement possible.
Context of Use
This game is a supplemental activity and could be used as an introduction on the topic of 19th and 20th century poetry, introducing this topic through student exploration. It is a way to address the connections between language, writing, and historical context. It is to encourage student inquiry and reflection. The writing prompts could be a starting point for more elaborate assignments in class such as a book of poems or a long-form essay.
Scope
The game includes a physical game board and its expansion takes place online through the linking of related information via Google Docs. It expands further when students research, although there should be guidance on research skills either within the game or through previous instruction in the classroom. The scope of the subject matter is writing, literature, the genre of poetry, and history, and the interdisciplinary learning that arises from putting these subjects together. The whole game can have a time limit or could be finished earlier depending on the dice rolled and the student engagement with research.
Object of the Game
Students roll a die on a Hotel Chelsea themed board and advance the number of spaces marked by the die. Students take the card of the poet and open the corresponding Google Doc that gives further instructions for reading and writing. All students playing write each round.
The object of the game is to encourage students to engage in both historical and literary research while being encouraged to write as a direct reaction to reading poetry. This is an interdisciplinary game that gives students choice with their reading selections and through open writing prompts.
Design Details
Universal Elements
A Hotel Chelsea physical gameboard paired with black and white picture cards of the poet.
Specific Elements
Other specific elements include game board pieces (players’ choice), dice, and a timer if the teacher sets time limits for writing or for the playing time as a whole.
Google Docs Links:
Ezra Pound: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DueVv0x8G7KICoiD0R_BwvN61cj_SNpNI2gb29Pe-ts/edit?usp=sharing
Walt Whitman: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZLwvzvEji822fGSKyXYRyBsohFCvsJhyyV9M_zasBso/edit?usp=sharing
Emily Dickinson: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TwjwgjCQ576Q9EPaJyItJFMrz8aLcmJTapdn4ReaPXM/edit?usp=sharing
T.S. Eliot: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RoMbctdLQLf5TftEFMo1fkIxqNZ3TotiDfJiNSXepI4/edit?usp=sharing
Gwendolyn Brooks: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NMN4jN9UPBzEFLw7eN4cE_t3pGUJdxCgQXBqCPsHS4M/edit?usp=sharing
Sylvia Plath: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L-f5ZA5Ee1_YlCRncgf7GEvBSKaKDrIQx1YtzRODJPo/edit?usp=sharing
Design Process
This game changed in the design process given time constraints and my ability to envision vs. carry out different technological resources. My initial motivation was to create something that encouraged exposure to American poets in a different setting than a lecture one. My initial plan was QR codes which was changed to Google Docs, one to give the research and writing process more focus and centralization but also because of my unfamiliarity with the WR process. I did do research on literary board games for older learners and found online activities but few physical games. I also decided to design a much “smaller” board in terms of the number of spaces and poets that are included but this was mostly a time decision and I would like to further elaborate on this if this game were to become a reality.
References
Be sure to include references to sources you used for ideas and examples.
Pictures:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezra_Pound
https://www.thoughtco.com/emily-dickinson-4772610
https://www.vulture.com/2019/01/sylvia-plaths-new-story-mary-ventura-shows-new-sides-to-her.html
https://breakingbad.fandom.com/wiki/Walt_Whitman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._S._Eliot
All other references of content are included directly in the Google Docs linked above.
Template notes: The elements and outline of this template borrow significantly from templates used in Dr. Bernie Dodge's course Exploratory Learning Through Educational Simulation and Games at San Diego State University, http://edweb2.net/ldt670/.
References
Dodge, B. (n.d.). EDTEC 670: Exploratory Learning Through Educational Simulation and Games. Retrieved December 28, 2014, from http://edweb2.net/ldt670/
Dodge, B. (2002), ET670 Design Template. Retrieved 2002, from http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec670/FinalProjectsF02.html. (URL no longer valid.)
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