Meeple School

Funding programme

Erasmus+ KA220-SCH – Cooperation Partnerships in School Education

Project reference

2021-1-ES01-KA220-SCH-000034472

Period

2021–2023

Coordinating organisation

Colegio Sagrada Familia – Jesuitinas, Valladolid, Spain

Participating countries

Spain, Romania, Greece

Official project website

Visit official website

Meeple School aimed to develop, implement and disseminate a Board Game-Based Learning (BGBL) methodology using modern commercial board games to strengthen key competences and soft skills among primary school pupils aged 6–12.

Specific learning objectives

• Key competence development: Foster curricular competences through structured game-based activities, including communication, mathematical reasoning, learning to learn, citizenship, entrepreneurship and cultural awareness.
• Social and emotional skills: Promote cooperation, communication, active listening, problem-solving, decision-making, emotional regulation and respect for others.
• Inclusive learning: Facilitate participation among pupils with different abilities, backgrounds and learning needs through appropriate game selection and adaptations.
• Active learning: Increase motivation, engagement and meaningful student participation through experiential and collaborative learning activities.
• Teacher competence: Equip primary school teachers with the methodological knowledge and educational resources required to use modern board games effectively in classroom settings.
• European cooperation: Encourage the exchange of educational practices among schools in Spain, Romania and Greece.

The project adopted the European framework of eight key competences for lifelong learning as its broader conceptual reference, while the associated scientific investigation focused particularly on linguistic communication, mathematical competence and learning to learn.

Meeple School used existing modern commercial board games rather than developing a new collection of educational games.

A multidisciplinary expert panel selected 29 modern board games according to their educational potential, suitability for primary education and capacity to support different key competences.

Examples of games used

• Language and communication: Rory’s Story Cubes, Blurble, Once Upon a Time, Kaleidos and Dixit Odyssey.
• Mathematical reasoning: Math Dice, 3·4 = Klatsch!, Ubongo, Point Salad and Speed Cups.
• Learning to learn and problem-solving: Pandemic, Forbidden Island and Sherlock Express.
• Cooperation and citizenship: Magic Maze, Magic Maze Kids and The Resistance: Avalon.
• Entrepreneurship and negotiation: Bohnanza.
• Cultural awareness and emotional expression: Emötio.

Game approach: Commercial board games, with suggested rule modifications and adaptations where necessary to accommodate educational objectives, age differences and special educational needs.

Educational adaptation: The project developed pedagogical support materials for the selected games, including recommended ages, player numbers, game duration, targeted competences, rule variations, inclusive adaptations and reflection questions.

Availability: The original commercial games generally require access to their physical editions. The project’s complementary educational materials and videotutorials are publicly available.

Meeple School developed a structured Board Game-Based Learning methodology designed to integrate modern commercial board games into primary school education.

Its approach combines competence-based game selection, teacher preparation, facilitated gameplay, inclusive adaptations, reflection and educational evaluation.

Methodological process

1. Identify learning objectives: Select the key competence or educational skills to be addressed and choose suitable board games according to pupils’ ages, abilities and group characteristics.
2. Prepare the facilitator: Teachers familiarise themselves with the selected games, their rules, mechanics, educational potential and possible adaptations.
3. Plan the educational activity: Use the pedagogical game sheets to organise groups, anticipate difficulties, select rule modifications and consider the needs of pupils requiring additional support.
4. Facilitate gameplay: Teachers explain the rules, organise participation, monitor interactions and provide support while allowing pupils to make decisions and experience the consequences of their actions.
5. Conduct reflection and debriefing: After gameplay, pupils discuss their experiences, decisions, strategies, interactions and the competences practised. Reflection may take place collectively or through written activities.
6. Connect gameplay with curricular learning: Teachers establish explicit links between the gaming experience, classroom subjects and broader competence-based learning objectives.
7. Evaluate the activity: Pupils and teachers complete evaluation instruments addressing engagement, game accessibility, perceived competence development and educational usefulness.

Role of the facilitator

The teacher acts as an educational facilitator rather than merely a game instructor. Responsibilities include selecting appropriate games, adapting rules, ensuring inclusive participation, observing behaviour, managing group dynamics and guiding reflection.

Debriefing

Post-game reflection is an essential methodological element. It allows pupils to examine how they communicated, cooperated, solved problems and responded to challenges, helping connect gameplay experiences with educational objectives.

Inclusive adaptations

The methodology encourages adjustments to game rules, time constraints, levels of difficulty, communication requirements and support materials according to pupils’ characteristics and learning needs.

Meeple School implemented and evaluated its Board Game-Based Learning methodology in primary schools in Spain, Romania and Greece.

Implementation

• Participating countries: Spain, Romania and Greece.
• Educational institutions: Colegio Sagrada Familia Jesuitinas (Valladolid), Lorelay Primary School (Iași) and 6th Primary School of Karditsa.
• Board games: 29 modern commercial board games selected for their educational potential.
• Teacher preparation: Participating teachers received intensive training and methodological support before and during classroom implementation.
• Learning sessions: Games were implemented through structured classroom activities, supported by pedagogical sheets and guided reflection.

Evaluation and research

The project toolkit reports evaluations involving 283 participating pupils and questionnaires completed by 132 families. A subsequent peer-reviewed scientific study analysed data from 238 students and 17 teachers across the three participating countries.

The scientific investigation combined student questionnaires, teacher assessments and qualitative observations. It examined game satisfaction, perceived difficulty, educational versatility, communication, mathematical reasoning and other learning-related experiences.

Main findings

• All 29 games obtained average student satisfaction scores above 3 out of 4, with 24 games exceeding 3.5.
• Most games were perceived as accessible: 27 of the 29 obtained difficulty ratings below 2 out of 4.
• Teacher satisfaction with the games ranged from 7.9 to 10 out of 10.
• Teachers reported opportunities to promote motivation, cooperation, creativity, communication, problem-solving and emotional regulation.
• Rule modifications and inclusive adaptations were identified as important for successful implementation in heterogeneous classrooms.

Scientific publication

Herrero-Martín, M., Aldavero, C., Lahuerta, A., Carro, L., & Herrero, A. J. (2025). Developing key competencies in primary education using modern board games. International Journal of Game-Based Learning, 15(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJGBL.393673

Evidence classification: Documented classroom implementation supported by a peer-reviewed descriptive and observational educational evaluation.

Limitations: The study primarily examined perceptions, satisfaction and teacher observations. It did not use a controlled pre-test/post-test design with validated competence measures, so causal improvements in key competences cannot be established from the reported findings.

Meeple School developed the Meeple School Kit, a collection of resources designed to facilitate the implementation of modern Board Game-Based Learning in primary education.

Available resources

• Methodological Guide: A comprehensive guide explaining the educational foundations of BGBL, European key competences, game selection, classroom implementation, facilitation, evaluation and practical recommendations.
• Pedagogical Game Sheets: Educational sheets providing information about individual games, learning targets, recommended ages, player numbers, duration, rule adaptations, considerations for pupils with special educational needs and suggested debriefing questions.
• Videotutorials: Video resources explaining how to play the selected games and supporting teachers in preparing classroom sessions.
• Meeple School App: An Android application helping educators identify suitable board games according to the competences they wish to develop, with game information and methodological support.
• Evaluation Instruments: Student and teacher questionnaires and observation tools designed to assess gameplay experiences, satisfaction, perceived competences and educational implementation.
• Scientific Publication: A peer-reviewed article reporting the implementation and evaluation of 29 modern board games across three European countries.

Transferability

The combination of methodological guidance, individual game sheets, audiovisual resources and evaluation tools supports adaptation and replication in other primary schools.

The Meeple School Kit is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) licence. This licence applies to the project materials, not automatically to the commercial games themselves.

Meeple School represents a well-documented example of integrating existing modern commercial board games into formal primary education through a structured Board Game-Based Learning methodology.

Methodological strengths

1. Competence-based game selection. The project established explicit connections between individual board games and curricular competences, providing educators with a practical framework for selecting games according to learning objectives rather than recreational preferences alone.
2. Use of existing commercial games. Unlike projects that develop new educational games, Meeple School demonstrates how commercially available modern board games can become educational resources when accompanied by appropriate methodological planning.
3. Structured facilitation and debriefing. The project recognises the importance of trained facilitators and post-game reflection in transforming gameplay into intentional educational experiences.
4. Inclusive methodology. Pedagogical guidance includes modifications and adaptations intended to accommodate pupils with different abilities, learning characteristics and educational needs.
5. Practical transferability. The methodological guide, game sheets, videotutorials, mobile application and evaluation instruments provide a substantial resource base for replication in other schools.
6. Documented educational implementation. The methodology was implemented in three European countries and informed a peer-reviewed scientific publication, offering substantially more empirical documentation than projects reporting outputs alone.

Methodological limitations

Although the project produced valuable implementation data, the available evaluation primarily concerns satisfaction, perceived educational usefulness and teacher observations. The absence of controlled pre-test/post-test competence measures limits conclusions about actual learning gains attributable to the intervention.

Moreover, successful implementation depends on teacher preparation, appropriate game selection, classroom management and the quality of reflective activities. The educational potential of individual games should not be interpreted as automatic evidence of their effectiveness.

Ludus Magnus assessment

Meeple School is a strong methodological example of how existing commercial board games can be systematically integrated into school education. Its principal contribution lies in combining competence-based selection, pedagogical adaptation, structured facilitation, reflection and practical resources with documented classroom implementation.

The associated scientific publication also provides a useful foundation for future research using validated competence measures, longitudinal assessment and controlled comparative designs.

Transparency and involvement disclosure

Azael J. Herrero, founder of Ludus Magnus, contributed to the Meeple School project and co-authored its associated scientific publication. The formal project consortium consisted of Colegio Sagrada Familia Jesuitinas, ASPAYM Castilla y León, Lorelay Primary School and 6th Primary School of Karditsa. This methodological appraisal should therefore be understood as an informed assessment with disclosed prior involvement, rather than an entirely independent external review.