Learning by Game Design: An Interdisciplinary Framework for Participatory and Innovative Higher Education

The Learning by Game Design project, developed at the University of Parma, proposes game design as a structured pedagogical methodology for higher education rather than an occasional motivational device. Grounded in constructionist theory, Universal Design for Learning, and the Games for Social Change tradition, the project responds to persistent problems in conventional university teaching, including limited engagement, inclusion, and active participation. It is built around a multidisciplinary team spanning entomology, citizen science, economics, law, game science, and cultural heritage education, and aims to produce a scalable and transferable model for university instruction.

The evidence presented is explicitly exploratory and process-oriented. An initial pilot in a Bachelor's-level Citizen Science elective involved eight students across two design groups, who produced two early-stage board game prototypes. The format was then extended to three further courses during the 2025/2026 academic year: Economics of Globalisation (thirty students in eight groups, designing games modelling trade theory concepts such as comparative advantage and tariffs), Sensitive Data Treatment (forty students, with artefact analysis still in progress), and Cultural Heritage and Museum Education (roughly twenty students, producing accessibility-focused prototypes). Data consist of facilitator field observations and qualitative analysis of student design artefacts, with no pre/post questionnaires, standardised measures, or control conditions. The authors identify this as a deliberate early-stage choice and note that findings rest on feasibility rather than generalisable outcomes.

The authors report that game design functioned as a shared pedagogical vocabulary across disciplines and as a diagnostic lens revealing gaps in student understanding. They acknowledge key limitations, including small samples, voluntary participation, and testing within a single institution. Planned next steps include structured data collection in new citizen science contexts (the BUILDERS project and BioUniversity Parma), integration with the Erasmus+ Luna Framework, and the development of evaluation instruments for learning, empowerment, and action beyond engagement.