Why Focus on Engagement?
What is student engagement?
There are three main types of engagement, each helping students maintain a high level of attentiveness and interest in the lesson. The first type is cognitive engagement, which involves students using their mental processes to complete tasks. The second type is behavioral engagement, where students actively listen and participate in class. The third type is affective engagement, which is demonstrated through students' body language, speech patterns, and overall tone of voice.
-> Facilitating and assessing student engagement in the classroom (S. Foster & K. Ambrose)
Why focus on student engagement?
Much research is being conducted to understand the impact of student engagement on their overall understanding of subjects. Most studies summarize that there is a positive correlation between student engagement and understanding, suggesting that as students become more engaged, their understanding increases.
Research papers connected to this topic:
- Handbook of Research on Student Engagement (S. Christen, A. Reschly, & C. Wylie) -> DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7
- School Structural Characteristics, Student Effort, Peer Associations, and Parental InvolvementThe Influence of School and Individual-Level Factors on Academic Achievement (E. Stewart) -> DOI 10.1177/0013124507304167
- Staying Engaged: Knowledge and Research Needs in Student Engagement (M. Wang & J. Degol) -> DOI 10.1111/cdep.12073
How do board games support student understanding?
When educational board games are used as a teaching tool to support the main lesson, they can help deepen student understanding. These games work similarly to common review tools used by many teachers but add a multi-sensory element, supporting various learning styles, including social, visual, and kinesthetic. By providing students with more opportunities to review or apply information in different settings, board games enhance their understanding of the subject at a deeper and more meaningful level.
-> Use of Educational Board Games on Student Engagement and Understanding (C. Heskett)
How do board games support student engagement?
Board games typically promote multiple transferable skills, including, but not limited to, collaboration, critical thinking, and decision-making. When playing a board game, individuals are required to collaborate with their peers and make decisions that are most advantageous. This increases student engagement, as students work in small groups and actively participate in the hands-on game. Based on observational research, teachers have found that students who are usually not engaged in the lesson tend to participate more when board games are used, as they create an environment that students find 'fun.'
-> Want to Up Your Teaching Game? Let the Students Play (C. Long)
Credentials and Awards
These board games have been showcased at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Climate Action Expo at the University of Colorado Boulder, where CU Boulder awarded the Sustainability Innovation Badge to Teacher-CV’s Board Games. Click on the image above to view the award.
After the presentations, a preliminary research paper was completed to determine how educational board games affect student engagement and understanding. It is available to read online at CU Scholar University Libraries. Click on the image above to access the paper
What teachers think...
★★★★★
Scott King
"These board games are such a clever way to teach these hard topics to students, to make them seem less daunting and more manageable."
★★★★★
Dr. Paul Strode
"I love the idea of using a board game to teach biodiversity! I will be using this in my classroom!"
★★★★★
Sophie Friedman
"Students learn the most when they are constructing understanding for themselves. Teacher-CV board games and lesson plans provide students with a fun, hands on experience to construct their own understanding of the content. My students love Teacher CV board games!"
★★★★★
Dr. William Lindsay
"I love to use board games as a way to ensure student engagement in the classroom."
★★★★★
Hilary Pawsey
"The combination of the board game and instructional materials ensures that the student experience is both educational and rewarding. The brilliance of these materials is that they allow the teacher to easily engage students in core science subject matters."
★★★★★
Valerie Munro
"Students seem to benefit from the game as it keeps their interest, which is a big win in my classroom!"