Showcase 2025: Game On! Playful Pedagogy and Learning Through Board Games

The Humber Library’s Showcase session highlighted its’ new board and video game collection, demonstrating how games can be powerful tools for both learning and leisure. After an overview of the development of the collection, participants broke into small groups to play board games.

“By centring [on] play this showcase, I really hope that we illustrated that the elements the library can encompass and champion go beyond what people usually think the library is for,” said Usman Malik, Liaison Librarian for the Kinesiology, Psychology, and Business programs at Guelph-Humber.  

The collection, which includes over 80 board games, as well as Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 titles, serves as a tool to support classroom learning while simultaneously providing students and staff with access to recreational materials.  

“Faculty can incorporate board games, potentially video games, in their classrooms as a way for students to meet their learning outcomes,” said Malik, noting there are many pedagogical applications for game-based learning.  

The games span a range of topics—from women’s suffrage to the social determinants of health to Truth and Reconciliation—inviting players to engage with social issues through play. 

Arvind Kang, Liaison Librarian for FLAS and FMCAD at Humber North, points to a collaboration with the Arboretum as a prime example. 

“We played this game called Daybreak to spotlight the International Day for Clean Energy. It is a collaborative board game that is about working together through the difficulties of solving climate crises in the world,” said Kang. 

Reflecting on the broader purpose of this initiative, Malik adds that the goal extends beyond workforce preparation. 

“It’s not just about preparing students for the workforce but, in general, being informed citizens who are able to engage with the world at large,” he said.

 All video interviews were conducted and edited by Fiona Tudor Price.