Game boards as a review tool: an experience with undergraduate engineering students

Abstract

[EN] The use of games with educational purposes has a lot of benefits since it creates attractive scenarios for learning combining different techniques like rewards, competitions or challenges. Computer games as a teaching instrument have been very popular among educators in the last years. However, some difficulties may arise to find the appropriate game given the specific aims of each subject which is more remarkable in higher education. Besides, the current reduced education budgets have led lecturers to search for alternatives. Game boards can be a good option since they have a low cost and can be easily customized. In the present work, an experiment carried out with undergraduate students of mechanical engineering at the Universitat Jaume I (Castelló de la Plana, Spain) is described. A questions game board created by the students was used as a review tool. During the course, the students proposed questions to be incorporated to the game working in groups. In the last session it was used in an organized competition among the students. Working in groups enhances communication and collaboration whereas using the elaborated game as a review tool help to summarize and reinforce essential concepts. In general, students were very interested and motivated to acquire new knowledge.