Game-Design Workshops with Co-Creation Toolkit to Support Game-Based Learning for Heritage Museum

This study examines whether a card-based game-design toolkit and co-creation workshop can make location-based, game-based learning accessible to heritage museum educators who lack the budget, time, or technical skill typically required. Its central proposition is that participatory game design can turn museum learning into an engaging, collaborative experience. The research was conducted at the South Sea God Temple of the Guangzhou Maritime Museum in China, using participatory action research and mixed methods, with five workshops involving 48 university students and 8 museum staff.

The most encouraging findings concern engagement and creation. In a six-hour pilot with 45 valid respondents, mostly 18–19-year-olds with no prior game-design experience, all ten prototype games were complete and structurally sound. Participants rated the experience highly, describing it most often as "interesting" and "inspirational." Gamification scored well for interest in history and culture (5.87 out of 7) and for perceived learning gains over traditional visits (5.2 out of 7). Teamwork was the most frequently cited skill developed. However, retention after 14 days fell markedly (3.82 out of 7), leading the authors to conclude that a single session is insufficient for lasting, systematic learning.

A further strand of the research addresses social outcomes. Many participants, who had experienced notable declines in social skills after prolonged online education, reported that the workshop helped strangers interact and collaborate, and described the activity as a valuable complement to guided tours. The authors interpret these results through Vygotsky's social learning theory and play theory, suggesting the workshop reframed learning as play rather than instruction.

The study's scope and limitations are substantial. The sample was narrow, consisting of 18–25-year-old students from a single region, and relied largely on self-report data, which constrains generalizability. The single historical site also biased the resulting game narratives toward sea gods, time travel, and treasure hunting. Participants felt the toolkit did not reliably guide them toward strong stories, a gap the authors plan to address through further development and broader testing.