Game-Based Learning: A Tool That Enhances the Collaborative Work: A Case Study of Undergraduate Students

This study examines how game-based learning (GBL) can strengthen teamwork and collaborative learning among undergraduate students in creative disciplines. Drawing on a survey of 99 students enrolled in communication, digital art, marketing, musical production, architecture, and industrial design programs at a private university in Puebla, Mexico, the research argues that video games, used deliberately as pedagogical tools, can increase student engagement and build collaborative competencies. The data were collected between December 2020 and January 2021 using a short Likert-scale questionnaire developed from prior literature and refined through a pilot test, with responses gathered via an online form.

The findings are strongly favorable to GBL. Roughly 70 percent of respondents agreed that game-based learning is a necessary tool for teaching, and 93 percent strongly agreed that it develops teamwork skills. Around 85 percent viewed it as a driver of educational innovation, and more than 80 percent believed it makes collaborative work more robust. A notable tension emerged around faculty practice: while half of respondents strongly agreed that their teachers used game-based techniques, nearly a quarter strongly disagreed, suggesting inconsistent adoption across courses.

The author concludes that GBL can encourage active participation, creativity, and student ownership of learning, while shifting the teacher's role toward that of a guide. The study acknowledges significant limitations, including its small, single-institution sample, its reliance on self-reported perceptions rather than measured learning outcomes, and its lack of comparison groups. The author identifies open challenges such as developing practical evaluation tools, balancing learning with entertainment, and conducting comparative studies across course designs and teacher practices.