Leveling Up Learning: Game Based Learning Initiatives in Canadian Higher Education

Game based learning (GBL), the use of game design elements within non-game contexts such as education, became increasingly popular in the early 2000s, yet empirical evidence about the benefit of games on student learning remains inconclusive. The potential impact of GBL can be influenced, for example, by design elements, context, and discipline. In Canadian higher education, GBL may be housed within departments, the library, or centres for teaching and learning. At our institution, GBL initiatives have only recently begun to surface; for example, the Department of English and Drama has recently launched a games studies minor for undergraduate students, the library has an extensive collection of video games available to borrow, and the academic skills centre has a large collection of board games that are used primarily for social game cafés. While opportunities for curricular connections may exist, our academic skills centre currently lacks staff who have both capacity and expertise in GBL pedagogy. Exploring possibilities for expansion, we aimed to understand the landscape of GBL initiatives across Canadian post-secondary institutions. To achieve this aim, we conducted an environmental scan of over 100 Canadian post-secondary institutions, gathering data such as the existence of GBL programs, category and level of programming (curricular, co-curricular, or research), initiative types, research development, faculty involvement, and availability of additional resources. Findings indicate inconsistencies in definitions used to promote GBL and a concentration of GBL initiatives at the curricular and research levels. The majority of GBL in Canada is led by faculty through course and degree-level programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. This research gives us insight into GBL program development, challenges, and opportunities for higher education in Canada and globally.