Catastrophic co-production: A student-staff partnership for developing an educational game

Katylily Westbury-Hawkins,Ben Kirman,Matthew Topham,Penelope Holland,Nicholas Glover,Kerry J Knox

doi:10.15173/ijsap.v4i2.4120

Katylily Westbury-Hawkins, Ben Kirman + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v4i2.4120

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Abstract

We describe the production of an educational game (Catastrophic) for supporting biology learning in higher education (HE) that was developed through a partnership between students and academic staff. We consider the ways in which the development project intersects with the use of game-based learning in HE and with Students as Partners (SaP) practice. We describe the rationale for the project, discussing the use of games in the context of a shift from surface to deep learning during the transition to HE. We then reflect upon the development process and the resulting game, drawing on student and staff perspectives gathered using interviews. Finally, we make recommendations for others embarking on student-staff partnerships for the co-creation of teaching and learning tools.

Highlights

RATIONALE FOR DEVELOPING AN EDUCATIONAL GAME Learning in higher education (HE) encompasses two key areas: autonomous learning and being able to understand, apply, and construct disciplinary knowledge (Wingate, 2007)
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STAFF-STUDENT PARTNERSHIP Drawing on our experiences, interviews, and discussions, we present four recommendations for others using a Students as Partners (SaP) approach for co-creation of teaching and learning tools: a) Explore and develop staff expectations and resilience around sharing control with students
SUMMARY AND LIMITATIONS We have described the process by which an educational game was developed through a partnership between students and academic staff drawn from multiple disciplinary backgrounds

Summary

Introduction

RATIONALE FOR DEVELOPING AN EDUCATIONAL GAME Learning in higher education (HE) encompasses two key areas: autonomous learning and being able to understand, apply, and construct disciplinary knowledge (Wingate, 2007). Catastrophic co-production: A student-staff partnership for developing an educational game, International Journal for Students as Partners, 4(2). REFLECTIONS: STUDENT AND STAFF PERCEPTIONS OF THE PROCESS AND DEVELOPED GAME York University Students’ Union (hereafter, the Union) took a keen interest in this project from a SaP perspective (Matthews, 2017), as it fits with their commitment to providing educationally purposeful activities that engage students as “active collaborators” and “co-producers” (Cook-Sather, 2015; see Dunne & Zandstra, 2011; Healey, 2019; and Neary, 2010).

Results

Conclusion