Board games to engage in systems thinking
Board games to engage in systems thinking
Board games to engage in systems thinking
By Wilian Gatti Junior & Beaumie Kim
January 12, 2021
Summary
To address the complexity of systems thinking and sustainable development, we designed a board game, Green Economy and developed a game-based learning approach utilizing this game.
Games are models of systems and systems themselves which makes game play and game design promising learning tools for complex issues.
From the constructivist and situated learning perspective, games situate knowledge within the modeled system and simulate a meaningful context for systems thinking.
In Green Economy, through the reflection on the decision making during the game play, we could see that students were involved in systems thinking recognizing elements and their relationships in the game, as well as organizing those components and the process of the game system.
Through the interaction of different game design elements that supported social interaction and the formulation of emerging strategies, it was possible to see how players were engaged in systems thinking emerged in a social gaming experience.
Our research seeks to contribute to a growing wave of game design for educational purposes that encompass not only the creation of digital games but also card and board games.
Our work contributes to a critical discussion concerning the integration of elements of game design and learning theories for developing a board game that enables educators to enhance player's systems thinking.
Reference
Gatti Junior, W., & Kim, B. (2021, January 12). Board games to engage in systems thinking. Retrieved from https://www.ludogogy.co.uk/article/board-games-to-engage-in-systems-thinking/