Evaluating the use of non-educational board games in classrooms: A model proposal

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Abstract

Within the different ways of using games and their characteristics in education, Game-Based Learning is one of the most common, usually through physical or digital formats of what we know as serious games which are designed with didactic objectives, or non-educational commercial games. The increase in the number, formats and themes of non-educational games over the last 20 years has opened a range of possibilities for its application in education. Through the analysis of diverse experiences carried out at Universitat Rovira i Virgili, a practical guide is proposed to face challenges and opportunities that non-educational board games offer as a learning tool. Despite the potential that commercial board games offers to teachers, the proposed model assumes that there are certain aspects to be taken into consideration such as the complexity of the rules, available time and space, the size of the group of students and, of course, the accessibility to the board games themselves. The use of non-educational games in the classroom requires a prior effort in the documentation, experimentation, design of the activity and evaluation of the results that must be faced to avoid failure in the process.

Keywords

Game-Based Learning (GBL), gamification, board games, education

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References

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Author Biographies

Juan Luis Gonzalo Iglesia, Rovira i Virgili University

PhD in Communication (URV, 2010), graduate in journalism (URV, 2006) and graduate in Geography and History (UdL, 1996). He is an associate professor at the Department of Communication Studies of the URV and a member of the recognized research group Asterisc. His lines of work are Technological Risk Communication, the representation of history in games and game-based learning in the classroom.

Natàlia Lozano monerrubio, Rovira i Virgili University

PhD in Communication from the Rovira i Virgili University (2015). Degree in Advertising and Public Relations (URV 2008), Master in International Public Relations (Cardiff University 2010) and Master in Secondary Teacher Training (URV 2016). His lines of research focus on the promotion of tourism brands, food communication and gamification in the classroom.

Jordi Prades Tena, Rovira i Virgili University

Graduate in Communication Sciences (UAB, 1995), Master's in Environmental Law (URV, 2011) and PhD in Communication (URV, 2015). He has participated in three European projects (FP7 and H2020) and teaches Journalism, Communication Structure and Biotechnology. He has worked as a journalist for more than twenty years and is the project manager of the URV/Repsol International Chair of Excellence in Communication.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.33115/udg_bib/cp.v7i14.22274

Published

2018-07-30

How to Cite

Gonzalo Iglesia, J. L., Lozano monerrubio, N., & Prades Tena, J. (2018). Evaluating the use of non-educational board games in classrooms: A model proposal. Communication Papers. Media Literacy and Gender Studies., 7(14), 37. https://doi.org/10.33115/udg_bib/cp.v7i14.22274