by Lee Wittig, Miriam Kahrs and Julie Direnga — Image: © Fadri Bischoff / Universität Bremen
Instructors are increasingly shifting their roles from knowledge providers to learning facilitators, seeking more targeted ways to address the diverse needs of their students. However, traditional academic hierarchies often make it difficult for students to express these needs. That is where our new format comes in.
Imagine the first day of class. The students are strangers. Yet, by the end of the first session, they have reflected on what they need for successful learning and practiced articulating those needs —and they had fun doing it. How did they get there?
The students played “Hey, What Do You Need?”, a game designed to start conversations about individual needs in the context of higher education. It is available in both a physical set and as a digital game board.
Based on concepts such as “Unconditional Teaching” and “Relationship-Centered Teaching,” the game helps students reflect on and articulate their expectations for effective teaching. These insights are then shared with their instructors.
To ensure the game is accessible, it uses the familiar mechanics of Mensch ärgere dich nicht! (Ludo), but adds “action cards” to prompt reflection and discussion. Through this playful exchange, students discover how varied their needs regarding higher education can be. By documenting these reflections, instructors gain valuable insights to tailor their teaching to the group’s needs.
How to use the game
Designed as an Open Educational Resource (OER), the game can be used during the first session of a course or at any other point throughout the semester. Students can also play in groups as a preparatory activity for a specific event.
- In-person play: Simply print the provided materials. You will also need game pieces and dice. The game board supports up to six participants, but multiple groups can play simultaneously.
- Digital play: The digital version is designed for use with video conferencing tools (using breakout rooms) and a digital whiteboard. It also supports up to six players per board, multiple boards can be set up for larger courses.
Suggested schedule
We recommend allocating 45–60 minutes for the activity, following this sample schedule:
- Introduction (5–10 minutes): Explain the game and its objectives.
- Gameplay (20–40 minutes): Divide students into groups and play.
- Wrap-up (5–10 minutes): Discuss insights and next steps.
Benefits for instructors
- Documenting student reflections allows instructors to understand exactly what their students value and need in their individual learning processes. This creates a basis for a collaborative dialogue, allowing the instructor to tailor the course design to the specific group.
- Instructors can gain a fresh perspective by playing the game themselves to experience the process from the students’ point of view.
- Instructors may also customize parts of the game to focus the discussion on specific topics.
‘What do you need?’ helped me figure out what I need to learn effectively. It was also really helpful to discuss with other students about their experiences. Now, our instructor and we have a better understanding of what works best for our learning. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Hanna, Law, 4th Year
Access and customization
The game is an Open Educational Resource (OER) under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0. You can adapt the game to focus on specific topics or themes. For questions or to share new use cases, contact us at wwub@vw.uni-bremen.de.
Key takeaways
- The game helps students articulate and share their learning needs.
- Instructors gain insights to tailor teaching to student needs.
- It’s a collaborative, low-stakes activity that fosters a student-centered approach.
Ready to try it? Get in touch or download the materials to start using “Hey, What Do You Need?” in your teaching!
Origin
The game was developed as part of the SKILL-UB project, funded by the Foundation for Innovation in Higher Education (Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre).
