Metabuleiro: a Digital Board Game About the Human Body and a Healthy Diet

• Main Authors: de Oliveira, Alexandre Ponce, Dias Cirilo, Matheus Henrique, Sarenci de Carvalho Ferreira, Gustavo M., Faria, Michel Hecker, de Oliveira Carvalho, Carla Roberta, Lopes de Souza, Paulo Sergio
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Collaboration; Competitive learning; Computer science; Education; game-based learning; Games; healthy diet; learning; Metabolism; Obesity
• ISSN: 2377-634X
• DOI: 10.1109/FIE58773.2023.10342974

Traditional teaching methods often need help engaging students and effectively fostering active participation and knowledge retention. There is a growing need for innovative educational tools to address this challenge that can enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. Educational games have gained significant attention as an effective method to improve motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes in educational settings. This paper introduces Metabuleiro, a digital multiplayer board game developed as a gamified learning tool. While initially focused on teaching metabolism, obesity, and a healthy diet, Metabuleiro's versatility allows its application in various subjects. The objective is to provide teachers with a unique and engaging resource that enhances student engagement and promotes effective learning. Experts collaboratively developed Metabuleiro from computer science and biomedical science. The game combines elements of board games and quizzes to offer a collaborative and competitive learning experience. Careful consideration was given to the game's features, mechanics, and components to ensure an effective learning environment while maintaining an enjoyable gameplay experience. Throughout the development process, feedback from teachers at different educational levels was collected and incorporated into the game's revisions. The final version of Metabuleiro received positive evaluations from teachers, demonstrating high satisfaction and intentions to integrate the educational game or similar tools into their classes. This positive feedback highlights Metabuleiro's potential as an effective educational tool for enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes. Furthermore, the game's adaptability allows it to be applied across various fields of study, making it a valuable resource for educators seeking to incorporate game-based learning and active educational methodologies in their classes. To further enhance our understanding of the game's educational benefits, future research can explore direct feed-back from students and evaluate the impact of Metabuleiro on academic performance. Such research would provide additional insights into the game's effectiveness and validate its use as an educational tool.