Learning how to learn by solving bizarre problems: a playful approach to developing creative and strategic thinking

Abstract

Purpose

In this paper, the authors present the insights and takeaways related to their experience with the design and development of ProblemUp!, a card game focused on helping higher education students develop personal strategies to overcome challenges in college and in life.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a case study with analysis of and reflections on the design and development of an educational card game.

Findings

The design and development of ProblemUp! has engendered a number of insights to analyze, design and implement games that can help students become successful learners in school and life, beyond subject matter. The authors realized that it is worthwhile to offer different opportunities for players to engage with the game (e.g. alternative sets of rules, face-to-face and online versions), while at the same time keeping the game affordable, accessible and fun to play. Ultimately, ProblemUp! reflects a social and playful approach to learning that can help students become strategic learners and creative problem solvers in a complex and ever-changing world.

Research/limitations/implications

The potential contribution of ProblemUp! to students’ academic success in higher education is significant. Often students’ reluctance to face challenges is perceived as a lack of ability when it is actually a lack of knowledge and skills in metacognition and decision-making. If students have a sense of their own competence and control over challenges in academic learning, then they will be motivated to persevere with academic study. ProblemUp! offers the opportunity for students to develop knowledge and skills that are often hidden from them, their teachers and tutors.

Practical implications

In higher education, ProblemUp! has the potential for use in a variety of ways. It can be presented in post-secondary settings as a resource for students, with or without facilitation of tutors and others working to improve student retention. It can also be introduced within courses by a facilitator who can help students understand how the strategies they create can be adapted to overcome challenges within a course or, in general, for succeeding in college. Opportunities can also be created so that students can join an online game as the need arises, with or without support.

Social implications

By speaking the “language of metacognition” embedded in the Cognitive Enrichment Advantage (CEA) approach (e.g. making comparisons, getting the main idea, connecting events, etc.), students can develop a “problem-solving grammar” which can be applied in a variety of situations to articulate the discourse on problems and the strategies to overcome them.

Originality/Value

The paper presents a novel approach to metacognitive learning, strategic thinking and problem-solving by leveraging bizarre problems in a social-constructive environment. It also includes practical and usable insights for educators, teachers and game designers.

Citation

Marone, V., Staples, C. and Greenberg, K.H. (2016), "Learning how to learn by solving bizarre problems: a playful approach to developing creative and strategic thinking", On the Horizon, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 112-120. https://doi.org/10.1108/OTH-08-2015-0040