Training for Board Game-based Learning: Evaluation Model and Preliminary Results From a National Program in Italy

Board Game-Based Learning (bGBL) is a dynamic pedagogical approach that leverages the immersive power and distinctive features of board games to promote active and meaningful learning. However, the use of board games in formal learning environments (such as schools, universities, etc.) is limited, and its use in informal learning contexts (such as cultural associations, after-school, fairs, summer camps, etc.) is often reduced to solely entertainment or engagement functions. The reasons include lack of competencies by teachers and educators and of pedagogical and instructional frameworks in scientific literature. In Italy, a joint effort by the National Sport association (CSI) and the Game Science Research Center has given birth to the first bGBL training course at the national level, based on a two-step structure: the first level (L1) is a short training aimed at all individuals willing to learn how to conduct board game activities in different settings; the second level (L2) is a more intensive course aimed at L1 trainees willing to learn how to design, implement, and evaluate bGBL activities. Evaluating the impact of such training is paramount to improve its quality, promoting new training opportunities nationwide, and better understand the competencies required for effective bGBL implementation in different settings. The present study focuses on two main aspects: first, presenting the model for evaluating the course, using Kirkpatrick’s Four levels of evaluation as a reference framework, and the related tools that have been developed, including an ex ante-ex post questionnaire based on four dimensions of self-assessment (performance, process, attitudes, and idea of self); second, presenting preliminary results. We aim to identify the professional, motivational and competence profiles of individuals entering L1 courses, information that is instrumental to design the training to fit participants’ needs and expectations. Taken together, this study might provide valuable information on the implementation of bGBL in various educational contexts and inform the design of learning curricula to enhance bGBL competencies.