Games should always have a place in class. When students are having fun and feeling good, their affective filters lower, and they become more receptive to learning. However, not all games are created equally. There has been lots of research and handwringing over screen time, and I think educators are responsible for providing alternatives if possible. Board games offer entertaining alternatives to screens and educators should consider bringing these games into their classrooms.
The affective filter hypothesis was popularized by Stephen Krashen in his seminal work Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. The affective filter hypothesis states that students become more receptive to second language input when their affective filters are lowered. Affective filters are composed of three major variables: a student’s motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety. Educators that are able to raise student motivation and confidence while lowering anxiety are providing more effective learning environments. Board games can help with all three variables. Winning can provide motivation. Games usually require different skill sets than traditional learning, which can help weaker students be more confident in their ability to participate. Finally, games are made to be fun and make people feel less anxious. Krashen’s work was focused on language acquisition, but I imagine that the affective filter hypothesis is relevant to any subject. If having fun while learning was not effective, we could ask our students to read dry textbooks and take boring quizzes every day.
Hundreds of studies and think-pieces have discussed the effects of screen time on children. I am not about to rehash that discussion, but I assume many parents and educators are concerned about screen time. If you are one of those educators, bring in a board game. The past thirty years have been a golden age in hobby board gaming. Monopoly and Scrabble are old and popular, but no longer rule the roost. BoardGameGeek has tens of thousands of games listed. Unfortunately, board gaming is still a niche hobby. The global board games market was about $13 billion in 2021. This seems like a lot until compared with the video games market which is almost $98 billion in the US alone. Parents, students, and educators are often unaware of how varied board games can be. Introducing board games to a classroom may convince a student to explore the hobby more deeply and spend less time with electronic devices.
I am a true believer in board games, probably because I am a fan of board games in general. I enjoy playing by myself (yes, solo board gaming is a big deal) or with friends and family. This makes it easy for me to design lessons around a game or incorporate gaming into our content. And while it may not be as easy for someone not so steeped in the hobby, the hobby is welcoming and loves to help educators find the right game for the right situation. After all, every new board game convert is one more person to play with.
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