Abstract
Game-based learning (GBL) is a didactic approach which fully integrates game characteristics with instructional content. It can provide a rich learning context to help learners construct higher-level knowledge and create immersive and engaging environments. It stimulates cognitive and emotional involvements, which are critical in deep learning. Games can play an especially prominent role in the university context, where they are used to vehiculate content knowledge in many different disciplines by promoting cognitive skills and competencies such as communication, collaboration, or problem-solving. However, lack of integration between gaming and teaching and a poor balance between enjoyment and education could undermine the efficacy of GBL in higher education. In this paper we show a preliminary case study, where the game “YouTopia – the ecosystem valley”, a board game on ecosystems functioning, was implemented involving 24 students of the Master’s degree course in Primary Education at the Free University of Bolzano – Bozen (Italy). This case study was implemented to understand how students of Educational Sciences perceive a board game as teaching tool for acquiring knowledge about ecosystem functioning, especially considering their limited background in ecology. Students played the boradgame and were then asked to fill out a short questinonnaire, to elicit their perception regarding the playability, engagement, didactic value, and general appreciation of the boardgame. According to the questionnaire’s results, the majority of students enjoyed the experience and were stimulated in boosting skills such as critical thinking, argumentation skills, and problem-solving. One-third of the students, however, did not perceive them to have acuired new knowlegde or to have modified their beliefs. The efficacy of the proposed approach as a first hint to activate students in ecology issues is also discussed. The preliminary resutls are encouraging for further on-field tests and the development of other GBL units focused on other sicentific topics.