Teaching History With Custom-Built Board Games. (April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hoy, Benjamin
• Is Part Of: Simulation & gaming. Volume 49:Number 2(2018)
• Page Start: 115
• Page End: 133
• Publication Date: 2018-04
• Subjects: borders -- custom-built games -- educational goals -- empathy -- engagement -- games and learning -- graduate -- historical simulations -- history -- history games -- history simulation -- history teaching -- participation -- undergraduate; Social sciences -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Simulation methods -- Periodicals; Game theory -- Periodicals; Sciences sociales -- Étude et enseignement -- Périodiques; Simulation, Méthodes de -- Périodiques; Jeu de rôle -- Périodiques; Éducation; Jeu d'entreprise; Jeu de simulation; Méthode de simulation; Sciences sociales; Théorie des jeux; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 003.3
• DOI: 10.1177/1046878118763624
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1046-8781

Abstract

Purpose. This article investigated the potential of acustom-built board game as a means to teachhistorical empathy, improve classparticipation, and to improvestudent understanding of the limitations of archival collections. Method. Participant behavior as well as verbal and written feedback were collected during a pilot study of POLICING THE SOUND. A total of 88undergraduate andgraduate participants from History and Indigenous Studies took part during the pilot study. Results. Student participation and understanding of historical context improved during the game. While graduate and undergraduate students showed similarity in theirenjoyment of the game and their belief that it made historical arguments, thecurricular differences in graduate and undergraduate programs influenced how each group approached the game. Conclusion. Participant feedback, facilitator observation, and external observation indicate that groups of players can resolve confusion more efficiently than individual players can, time constrained decision-making may help maintain student engagement, an inability to win does not necessarily cause disengagement in short educational games, and that a structured debrief is important in achieving educational goals even in custom-built games.