Creation of Retro Games Room Supporting Student Belonging

Video games when utilised in academic settings have the potential to enhance the student learning experience through their immersive qualities. When integrated and combined with course curriculum they can aid student engagement and retention. Video games, when also applied within a social context in education have the ability to contribute to student success at university through supporting and facilitating student wellbeing, inclusion, equality and a sense of community. The aim of this paper is to present a case study about the co-creation of a retro games room by students and educators within a BSc (Hons) Computer Games Development programme at a Scottish University. The idea behind the retro games room was to offer a multifunctional space where students can socialise, relax and share their passion for gaming out with their core academic studies. The room has fostered a sense of community and belonging among students making them feel part of their academic programme. The paper provides a scoping review of the academic literature associated with supporting student belonging in higher education via student identity and engagement. In addition, the paper presents predominately quantitative results on the students’ experience of using the room to develop a sense of community and identity with a view to enhancing student ownership and belonging on the programme. The paper illustrates the logic and justifications made regarding the proposed use of the room from a student belonging perspective. It denotes how a combined community of practice and affinity space approach, with a shared interest of bringing students together has the potential to enhance their overall positive wellbeing. The paper also provides a solid case study for other educators to reflect on regarding ways to enhance the student experience on their respective programmes from the grass roots level.