Game-Based Learning and Systems Thinking: an Innovative Instructional Approach for the 21st Century

Serious games, board games, and well-designed commercial video games represent emerging technologies that have been utilized by instructors to help students develop systems thinking skills. In this paper, the author proposes an innovative pedagogical framework that can support educators using digital game-based learning in higher education. By following a series of steps and activities, university instructors can successfully integrate digital gameplay in their classrooms and align course content with gameplay objectives. Game-based environments for learning offer a glass box approach that can explain how and why these technologies can be suitable for teaching complex competencies like systems thinking skills in a variety of academic contexts. The glass box instructional approach can provide researchers with student data that can be used during gameplay to help students develop competencies and adapt instructional strategies that can tailor the game environment to improve student performance. Successfully implementing digital game-based learning in university classrooms requires a methodical instructional approach that can support both novice and expert technology using educators.