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The board game assignment is best used as a formative, process-driven activity that supports students to complete a culminating final project. Ideally, you should provide students with the choice of working in preferred group size (1, 2. 4). Introduce the assignment criteria at the beginning of term and allocate at least 30min of group time to allow groups to incorporate new learnings from class each week. This can be done in person or online in breakout rooms.

The board game assignment in this exemplar asks learners to consider issues around accessibility, inclusion, and embodiment. These are important considerations for any assignment but, in particular, for this course, they are directly aligned with the course content. Consider how your course content can align with the challenges and activities that a board game can provide. What are the main issues for consideration? How can you fold in consecutive learning outcomes for weekly considerations?

The key part of this assignment is that students will then, in their same groups, play and review each others’ board games. The review process allows opportunities for critical reflection on how their peers addressed key learning outcomes. See the rubric section for the Review Guidelines. The variability in different approaches and types of board games and rules provides a rich opportunity to explore complex topics in an engaging and interactive way.

Students are graded on both their game and their review of other groups’ games.

Grade breakdown: 30%

Construction of BOARD GAME with inclusion and activity modifications and instructions for play 20%

Playing classmates’ GAME and Reviewing the GAME  10%

Criteria

Students are asked to comment on how the GAME performs based on the criteria below:

• Game has incorporated course material in ways that make the concepts clear (players are able to have some insight or an ‘aha’ moment). Identify the concepts that you think are being applied in the game.
• Game modifications have allowed the overall structure of the game to be relatively recognizable (that is, the modifications have not dismantled the game)
• The game’s challenges or dilemmas or lessons are sound, but still maintain safety and dignity
• Instructions are clear
• Game has a flow and does not ‘drag’
• Game is (mostly) fun
• For what ages and groups is the game appropriate? How might the game be used as a professional development tool or an awareness workshop?
• Other comments you want to make

Technology Used

Students can use any technology they like to create the board game but old fashioned paper-based can work as well, provided there is a mechanism to play/review the game online in some way.

For synchronous sessions, group work can take place using any web conferencing software (Teams, Zoom, Collaborate, etc)

Sharing of all the resources can be done through the Forum Discussion boards in the learning management system.

Facilitation Tips

This is a great opportunity to reflect deeply about your core learning outcomes for your course. What big ideas do you want students to take away and remember long after they have graduated? Building the opportunity to incorporate sub topics on an ongoing basis through the semester requires you to consider how your weekly sessions are connected.

Examples of Student Work (in Supplementary Resources)

Student Work: Board Game (Cranium)

Student Work: Board Game (Game of Life)