Staying the course - A game to facilitate students' transitions to higher education

The initial transition to higher education can be difficult for some students as they adapt to the institutional habitus (Thomas 2002) and for many students this can be one of the most significant and difficult learning transitions they will make (Yorke & Longden 2007). To help facilitate this complex transition the authors used the data from a regional student attrition study to inform the design of a board game and companion website. The purpose of the game was threefold: first, to set reasonable student expectations of institutional systems; second, to raise awareness of support services; and third to promote social integration. This paper outlines the literature that informed the game design and describes how the study data were incorporated into the design of the game board. The game was subsequently linked with discussion activities to prompt players to consider different perspectives and personal dilemmas as they played and this dual-media approach is discussed. The iterative process of how the game evolved during testing and initial evaluation is also described.