Abstract
Game-based constructivist learning has gained considerable attention as educational institutions aim to move from traditional instructional teaching to interactive and collaborative methods. The question is less asked of whether games should be used in teaching but rather how games should be used to create deep learning in students. In light of this movement, the Grade Inflation Game, or GIGAME, was developed. This case study tackles the research question of how games may be designed to harness the benefits of constructivist learning. It first documents the conceptualization of GIGAME and next proposes theoretical frameworks that can be used to guide the development and evaluation of constructivist learning games. Through trial runs on two undergraduate law of torts classes, feedback was gathered from students and the instructor of these classes regarding their perceptions of GIGAME, including learning effectiveness and satisfaction. The feedback suggests that GIGAME can serve as a form of game-based constructivist learning as most students indicated that the game helped consolidate their course knowledge while having fun. These qualitative findings are useful for guiding the development of other games that similarly aim to promote socially interactive and constructivist learning environments. This case study recommends the use of GIGAME in classes, although refinements can still be made to its gameplay.
Highlights
Many contemporary educational scholars have advocated for constructivist-driven teaching and learning, which has been shown to foster critical thinking and deeper learning (e.g., Kong and Song 2013; Lipman 1991; Otting and Zwaal 2007)
Given the growing interest in game-based learning, this case study aims to contribute to the knowledge on constructivist education by first describing the significance of constructivist and game-based learning, followed by outlining how Grade Inflation Game (GIGAME) was designed with these constructivist principles in mind as well as the evaluation of its efficacy in classroom use
The board game was beamed onto a stationary screen through an overhead projector, and the multiple choice questions relating to the topic on “The Singapore legal profession” were presented on PowerPoint slides one at a time
Summary
Many contemporary educational scholars have advocated for constructivist-driven teaching and learning, which has been shown to foster critical thinking and deeper learning (e.g., Kong and Song 2013; Lipman 1991; Otting and Zwaal 2007). The question is less asked of whether games should be introduced into the classroom but rather how games should be developed and implemented to best harness deep learning in students. In line with the progressive acceptance and use of games in contemporary classrooms, an electronic roll-and-move board game, named the Grade Inflation Game (GIGAME), was developed by Singapore Management University’s (SMU) Centre for. Students formed groups of four or five to play, and if a particular group answered the question correctly, it had another turn to roll a virtual dice and advance on the Snakes and Lawyers board. Snakes and Lawyers hinted at the ability of such a game to foster a constructivist learning environment. Some shortcomings of Snakes and Lawyers included the following: 1. Students were not able to play the game on their own outside of the classroom
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