Modding modern board games for e-learning: a collaborative planning exercise about deindustrialization

Abstract

The paper describes an experience of applying analog games in online educational environments as a way to respond to the pandemic restrictions. Combing these games with online collaborative tools like Zoom and Google Drive allows to transform them into serious game tools. The experience happened during a class to teach collaborative decision-making, part of the environmental engineering master's degree course of the Nova University of Lisbon. The invited teacher acted as the facilitator of the serious game approach. The facilitator presented students with the challenge to create, debate, and deliberate proposals about urban renewal in a city passing by a deindustrialization process. Through this game-based method, players had a pleasant experience and reached the intended game and lesson goals.