As an early childhood educator, my mom collects all sorts of books devoted to childhood development. When I told her she was going to be a grandmother, she dug through her library to pass on a few choice titles. One book was Play With a Purpose by Dr. Dorothy Einon. It must have been a gift from her friend because inside I found a nice note referring to me and addressed to my mom that was dated a mere two months after I was born. Although Play With a Purpose is nearly forty years old, and focuses on young children, much of the theory and application can be applied to any age group. Of particular interest to me is how Dr. Einon stresses the importance of play in direct learning.
Educators know about direct instruction and how it should only be one of many types of instruction. Dr. Einon does not follow that nomenclature and uses the phrase “indirect learning” to explain teacher or parent-led instruction. She calls it indirect learning because children are learning through intermediaries such as teachers, television, and society at large. Indirect learning is “profiting from the knowledge of others, which in turn allows short cuts to be taken.”
Direct learning is the opposite. People learn directly through our own experiences, often through trial and error. Direct learning is practical learning. We usually see the effects of an action much earlier than we understand why the effects happen. For most cases, this is enough. Everyone knows fire hurts and burns; far fewer can explain exactly how our nervous system communicates that pain to us. Direct learning through play can help students internalize a concept before indirectly learning the underlying details in class.
Board games are great for direct learning. Players are using a variety of mechanics to play. “Using” is the key word. I don’t know much about probability theory, but Settlers of Catan taught me that 7 is the single most likely outcome when rolling a pair of dice. On a larger scale, high-level Warhammer players are amazing at mental math. By analyzing their attack power compared to their enemy’s defenses, in seconds they estimate how effective their assault should be based on dice probability. I find it awe-inspiring.
Math is commonly cited as a subject built through board gaming due to the prevalence of dice, but it is not the only one. Historical games can help “boring old stuff” to life. Twilight Struggle recognizes this opportunity and includes in the rulebook a paragraph explaining the historical context of each event card if players get inspired to learn more about the Cold War. Market-based games like Power Grid can demonstrate basic economics way before a student knows the phrase “supply side.” Finally, since many board games involve reading, language learners are getting constant practice with authentic material.
Play is fundamental for direct learning. Play provides opportunities to experiment and discover in low-risk environments. The wealth of board games available means educators can almost certainly find an appropriate environment that will allow students to directly learn useful course content.
The Keasy Depot 