Designing Educational Games in Higher Education: A Convergent Mixed-Methods Pilot Evaluation of an Interdisciplinary Course on Game Design

Abstract

While many studies focus on the use of games as teaching tools, fewer examine the educational value of teaching students how to design educational games themselves. The Learn to Play for the Future project addresses this gap by developing and implementing an interdisciplinary international course focused on educational game design. The main objective of the course was to develop students’ competencies in educational game design while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and applied understanding of game-based learning principles. The course combined theoretical instruction on gamification, learning design, and game mechanics with project-based learning activities. Students worked in teams to design educational games, define learning goals and target audiences, develop gameplay mechanics, create prototypes, and conduct iterative playtesting. Both tabletop and digital game formats were explored depending on the institutional context. This paper presents a convergent mixed-methods pilot evaluation of the, said course and it combines pre- and post-course questionnaire data with reflective diaries and focus-group data in order to examine changes in students’ perceptions, motivation, and readiness, and to understand their experiences of the game design process. The findings suggest that engaging students in the design of educational games can support the development of creative problem-solving skills, interdisciplinary collaboration, and deeper understanding of the relationship between gameplay mechanics and learning objectives. Students particularly valued hands-on prototyping and playtesting with real users. However, the evaluation also identified challenges related to time constraints, the complexity of concept development, and the need for clearer project milestones. The study contributes to current discussions on integrating game design and game-based learning into higher education curricula and offers practical insights for designing interdisciplinary courses that combine pedagogy, creativity, and digital innovation.