ENROLLED: CREATING A BOARD GAME TO INFLUENCE STUDENT RETENTION AND SUCCESS by Andrew H. Peterson This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education Ferris State University November 2018 © 2019 Andrew H. Peterson All Rights Reserved ENROLLED: CREATING A BOARD GAME TO INFLUENCE STUDENT RETENTION AND SUCCESS by Andrew H. Peterson Has been approved November 2018 APPROVED: Jonathan Truitt, PhD Committee Chair David Simkins, PhD Committee Member Paul Wright, PhD Committee Member Dissertation Committee ACCEPTED: Roberta C. Teahen, PhD, Director Community College Leadership Program ABSTRACT This dissertation documents the justification, creation, and refinement of a traditional board game to be used in first-year experience (freshman seminar) courses. The board game enRolled allows students to play college in a guided classroom environment. The game creates a low-stakes environment for students to be able to fail at college without risking time and money. Further, it is designed to give students a relatable topic to debate. By having a common experience, students can distance themselves from what their expectations of college are and deliberate on the tangible game they have played. The discussions that stem from this play and the modification of the game elements are designed to help the students take ownership over the experience. Having a game experience to discuss allows a student to objectively analyze their player’s path through the academic setting and debate realistic and perceived unrealistic challenges. Through these discussions, it is possible for students to engage with content while having little to no firsthand knowledge. It is the hope of this author that the creation of enRolled leads to a more engaging curriculum in first-year experience courses. Keywords: Game-Based Learning, First-Year Seminar, Freshman Seminar, enRolled i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I began my doctorate in Community College Leadership in May 2014. As I write the last section of my dissertation on September 1, 2018, I have a hard time reflecting on all the details. Over four years of effort, travel, friendships, hardships, and struggles, late-night assignment submissions and endless revision-filled weekends became the norm. Through it all I have a smiling and supportive family, a cohort that makes the arduous more interesting, and academic guides to show the way. At no point in the history of my academic life did I envision myself as Andrew H. Peterson, EdD. It is with a mix of personal pride and recognition of my personal and professional network and their support that I could accomplish this endeavor. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................................. ii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ v PREFACE ...................................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Statement of Purpose ................................................................................................................... 3 The History of Game-Based Learning ........................................................................................ 8 Who Games? ............................................................................................................................... 9 Terms ......................................................................................................................................... 10 The Need ................................................................................................................................... 10 Student Success ......................................................................................................................... 11 Learning by Failure ................................................................................................................... 12 Examples of Game-Based Learning in the Classroom .............................................................. 16 Summary ................................................................................................................................... 23 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................... 24 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 24 Meta-Analysis of Game-Based Learning Publication Requirements ....................................... 25 Research Critique ...................................................................................................................... 29 Game Design ............................................................................................................................. 33 Education Design ...................................................................................................................... 43 Game-Based Learning Examples .............................................................................................. 44 Zone of Proximal Development ................................................................................................ 48 Implementation of Game-Based Learning ................................................................................ 49 Industry Experts ........................................................................................................................ 55 Game-Based Learning Texts ..................................................................................................... 57 Summary ................................................................................................................................... 58 iii CHAPTER THREE: DESIGN METHODOLOGY...................................................................... 60 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 60 Iteration and Design Process ..................................................................................................... 61 Learning Objectives .................................................................................................................. 65 Summary ................................................................................................................................... 67 CHAPTER FOUR: ENROLLED ASSETS ................................................................................... 68 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 68 Rulebook ................................................................................................................................... 69 Summary of Play ....................................................................................................................... 70 Setup ..................................................................................................................................... 70 Phases (Overview) ................................................................................................................ 70 Play ....................................................................................................................................... 70 Scoring .................................................................................................................................. 73 Lesson Plan Example for Using enRolled ................................................................................. 73 Summary ................................................................................................................................... 74 CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................. 76 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 76 Future Research ......................................................................................................................... 76 Limitations ................................................................................................................................ 77 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 78 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 79 iv LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1. 7 Principles of Game-Like Learning ............................................................................... 2 Figure 2. The Flow Channel ......................................................................................................... 20 Figure 3: Metrics Feedback Cycle ...............................................................................................