Playful Pedagogy: Student Perceptions of Academic Skill Development Through Board Games

Abstract

Game-based learning (GBL) has been widely recognized in higher education for its potential to enhance learning, foster peer-to-peer connections, support metacognitive and executive functioning, and facilitate collaborative learning (e.g., Jääskä & Aaltonen, 2022; Kim et al., 2009; Glaister et al., 2024). Across Canadian postsecondary institutions, GBL initiatives have emerged in academic programs, libraries, and teaching and learning centres (Garbati & Skrepnek, 2024, 2025). At our institution, examples include a Game Studies minor, an extensive video game collection housed in the library, and a collection of more than 300 board games maintained by the academic skills centre. This study focuses on the academic skills centre’s game café, a long-running co-curricular initiative in which students gather to play board games with peers for up to four hours. While the game café is well-attended, little evidence has been collected regarding participants’ experiences and perceived learning outcomes. To address this gap, we investigated students’ perceptions of the game café, including their participation patterns and perceived development of academic skills such as verbal communication, written communication, critical thinking, and problem solving through gameplay. Data were collected through paper-based surveys administered during Winter and Fall 2025. A total of 104 students completed the survey. Analysis of findings note attendance and participation trends, students’ perceptions of learning and skill development, and interest in future GBL-focused workshops. This paper provides an overview of relevant literature, outlines the study’s research goals and methodology, presents key findings, and discusses their implications for teaching and learning in higher education. We conclude by identifying future directions for research and considering the pedagogical potential of the game café as a co-curricular learning environment.