Game design: Re-imagining learning and teaching leadership through active gameplay

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Game Design and Development
• Leadership Studies

Background:

• Game-based learning is recognized as a cyclical process involving motivation, action, and feedback.
• The creation of games itself presents a unique learning opportunity.
• Integrating practical application with theoretical knowledge is crucial for effective leadership education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential of game creation as a pedagogical tool in leadership education.
• To demonstrate how game-learned skills and knowledge can be applied to leadership theory.
• To investigate the effectiveness of both interacting with and creating gaming environments for student learning.

Main Methods:

• Leadership students engaged with pre-designed gaming environments.
• Students subsequently participated in creating their own cooperative gaming worlds.
• The study focused on the iterative process of game design and its learning outcomes.

Main Results:

• The process of creating games fostered a playful and rich learning environment.
• Students demonstrated a confluence of game-learned skills and leadership theory through their creations.
• Cooperative game world creation facilitated practical application of learned concepts.

Conclusions:

• Game creation is a valuable learning activity that complements game-based learning.
• Leadership students can effectively integrate theoretical knowledge with practical skills through game development.
• Designing cooperative gaming worlds enhances the learning experience and skill development for leadership students.