A Hybrid Board Game for Learning Blockchain Mechanisms

Abstract

Blockchain is one of the most significant and innovative technological developments in recent years. Blockchain use cases are no longer limited to the financial sector but have expanded into various industries such as healthcare and education. It is imperative to educate individuals early to prepare them for the widespread adoption of blockchain technology. To this end, we created a hybrid board game to educate players about the blockchain mechanism. The game mechanics incorporate three topics: block properties, mining nodes, and the proof-of-work process. Each player competes to get as many coins as possible from mining and transacting while protecting their mining nodes from other players. This study aims to determine how well the players understood each topic after playing the game. We experimented with 22 students in grades 11 and 12, ranging in age from 17 to 18. We administered a multiple-choice test, followed by an interview, to determine their level of knowledge. After participating in the activity, the average score for the block properties topic was 51 percent, for the mining nodes was 51 percent, and for the proof-of-work process was 40 percent.