The XXXX Game – A Character-Based Game for Active Learning

Author: Louise Sheridan. Senior Lecturer, School of Education, College of Social Sciences

Summary

The XXXX game is a character-based game that can be used in online and face-to-face teaching. The game enables students to discuss a range of themes, it promotes active discussion skills, and it enables students to develop skills in building arguments. It can be played online (e.g. over Zoom), or in person.

Description

I developed this game as a tool to promote the active engagement of students within a Higher Education setting. It can be used in multiple settings e.g., in school, further or higher education. It can be used to teach a variety of topics, from sociology to housing studies. In this game, students play various characters, informed by their own perceptions, and discuss a range of scenarios connected to the topic. The game enables students to discuss a range of themes, it promotes active discussion skills, and it enables students to develop skills in building arguments.

More information about the XXXX game is available via the National Teaching Repository. Louise has also written a blog post about the use of the game by her and a colleague from Finland.

Why was this active learning approach taken?

It was developed to encourage active participation in an online learning situation by using characters that connect to the topic. This provides a medium in which participants can explore a situation from the safety of a character. A commitment to critical pedagogy underpins this approach.

What inspired you to choose this approach?

I developed the idea based on prior teaching experience, to provide an engaging and active learning experience during the pandemic. (The game developed was played in Zoom, making use of break out rooms.)

Benefits to students

  • Safety to test out new ideas
  • Builds skills in argumentation and critical thinking
  • Authentic learning, in an enjoyable environment
  • It enables students to consider multi-disciplinary perspectives with ‘new eyes’
  • It prepares students for real-life situations

Benefits to staff

  • Lack of confidence in facilitating role-play
  • Lack of time to develop characters and scenarios that connect with class content

What student support needs should be taken into account?

Reassurance is given to students, advising them that they can participate in character or particate as themselves. It is important to stress that role-playing is not compulsory; students are not required to use accents etc., but they may wish to, if they desire.

What advice would you give to other teachers wishing to implement a similar activity?

  • Ensure that the characters align well with the topic, and that they are somewhat familiar to students
  • Create scenarios that also align well with the topic
  • Continue to remind students that people are participating in character

Scalability and transferability

  • If this was scaled-up to more than 50 participants, the session would take longer to ensure participants have the chance to feedback.
  • This approach easily transfers to a wide range of topics

Level

This game has been used with Honours and PGT students. It has also been used with delegates at the UofG Learning and Teaching Conference 2023.

Links to Learning and Teaching Strategy

  • Evolving approach to student-centred active learning
  • Students’ professional and skills development

References

Boal, A. (1993) Theatre of the Oppressed. New York: Theatre Communications Group

Rahmawati, Y.,  Taylor, E.,  Taylor, P.C. and Koul, R. (2021) Student empowerment in a constructivist values learning environment for a healthy and sustainable world. Learning Environments Research,  24(3), pp. 451- 468