Finding My Meeple: How Eight Secondary Educators Use Analog Gaming to Engage and Motivate Students

Abstract

Although more research has been conducted on game-based learning in secondary-level classrooms in recent years, much of that research focuses on the digital realm as opposed to analog games such as board or card games. Moreover, research concerning analog games often takes the form of design-based research or explorations of how thinking manifests during gameplay. Thus, more research is necessary to provide a fuller view of (1) how secondary-level teachers currently make use of analog games as learning tools in their classrooms and (2) the affordances such teachers have experienced when implementing analog games as teaching tools. In this qualitative study, the researcher interviewed eight middle and high school teachers of various disciplines and from various locations in the United States who employ analog game-based learning. Examined through a theoretical framework of Csikszentmihalyi's Flow theory and Ryan and Deci's work in Self-Determination, a number of themes emerged during those semi-structured interviews, including the enjoyment experienced by both teachers and students while using analog-based games as learning tools; improved levels of engagement and motivation; the appeal of analog games for learners who benefit from interacting with physical objects; and the rewards of using games in class, including positive social interaction. Furthermore, participants discussed the importance of aligning lesson objectives with gameplay; the value of post-play reflection; the power of games to offer valuable simulation-based learning experiences; and the challenge of student hesitation due to fear of failure or competition during gameplay. These themes suggest the potential for analog-based games to be used as valuable learning tools, so long as the teacher knows how and when to use such tools. Finally, the researcher calls for further study to aid educators in aligning their choices of games with the kinds of students who make up their classrooms so that fewer students experience the fear of failure and, thus, disengage with the game-based learning experience.