Game-Based Learning in Action:
A Week of Play, Design, and Discovery
๐Split, Croatiaย ย ๐งโ๐ซ teachers from Germany ย ๐ซ Lina Edu โ Center of Excellence
What does it feel like to be a learner again? To sit down at a table full of paper, scissors, and ideas – and be told that the rules of the frontal teaching approach in the classroom no longer apply? That’s exactly where participants of our latest Erasmus+ course found themselves as they arrived in Split for a week unlike any professional development they’d experienced before.
The courseย Game-Based Learning in Action: Designing Engaging Educational Games for the Classroom, hosted by Centar izvrsnosti Splitsko-dalmatinske ลพupanije in partnership with teacher training provider Lina Edu, brought together teachers from Germany for six intensive, creative, and deeply hands-on days of learning through play.
“A game is a problem solving activity approached with a playful attitude.”
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE
Five Days, One Big Idea
The course was built on a simple but powerful premise: that teachers who experience great game-based learning will be better equipped to design it for their own students. Each day layered new concepts and skills onto a growing foundation, moving from theory to design to real, playable prototypes.
DAY 1
Play, Games & the Classroom
Core concepts of play design, game-based learning vs. gamification, and real-world educational game examples.
DAY 2
Mechanics, Motivation & Design Thinking
Game mechanics, gameplay loops, intrinsic motivation, design thinking methodology, and intro to digital & AI tools.
DAY 3
Motion โ driven gamification activities & Outdoor & Field-Based Learning
gamification strategies to increase engagement and motivation in classroom or PE gym, teamwork and communication skills through games, incorporating movement and active learning into educational settings,
implementing the topic of cultural heritage to create a field class educational game with gamification elements with motivating to learn and collaborative tasksย in a scavenger hunt.
DAY 4
Paper Prototyping & Playtesting
Low-cost prototyping, rule writing, observing players, collecting feedback, and iterating on game designs.
DAY 5
Polish, Pitch & Present
Finalising prototypes, game pitching, digital transfer, implementation planning, and peer presentations with reflection.
From the very first session led by educator Gordan, the energy in the room was unmistakable. Participants arrived curious and left Day 1 expressing their enthusiasm for what was ahead – their emojis alone said it all. That enthusiasm only grew as the week progressed.
LEARNING IN PRACTICE
More Than a Workshop – A Full Design Experience
What set this course apart was its carefully balanced connection between theory and practice. Participants weren’t simply lectured at; they were challenged, stretched, and invited to create. The programme moved fluidly through conceptual grounding and hands-on making, with each activity designed to support real classroom application – not just theoretical understanding.
Day 3 brought useful and highly engaging classroom activities that gamification elements together with motion represented a perfect connection and afterwards the learning outside entirely, as participants experienced a field-based challenge rooted in Split’s local cultural heritage of a great importance and value. Navigating routes by thorughly created puzzles where in most of them the question is hiding and to discover the question, the participants needed to activate their knowledge of different subject (i.e. History, Art, and Italian), and weaving storytelling into learning tasks – all while balancing fun with genuine educational purpose – gave teachers a firsthand feel for what their students could experience.
By Day 4, tables were scattered with colourful cards, hand-drawn boards, and rule sheets. Participants playtested each other’s creations, observed how players interacted, and refined their prototypes based on real feedback. On the final day, they pitched their games to the group, explaining the learning value, curriculum links, and how they planned to bring each game back to their own classrooms.
WHAT PARTICIPANTS TOOK HOME
Learning Outcomes That Last
By the end of the week, participants had achieved a rich set of practical and transferable skills – a toolkit they can immediately put to use for their students.
- Distinguishing play, gamification, and game-based learning
- Analysing how games support engagement and knowledge retention
- Designing learning objectives linked to curriculum outcomes
- Creating and iterating on educational game prototypes
- Applying gamification strategies to motivate students
- Developing teamwork and collaborative problem-solving
- Integrating movement and active learning into lessons
- Getting insight into designing field-based, heritage-linked educational games
- Using digital tools for layout, graphics, and presentation
- Creating classroom implementation plans
- Conducting and interpreting playtesting sessions
- Presenting a complete educational game prototype
These outcomes represent not just individual growth, but a ripple effect – every participant left with the means to transform how their students experience learning, and to empower those students to eventually design games themselves.
Until the Next Move
The final day brought certificates, reflections, and warm goodbyes, but the work is only beginning. Each participant carries with them not just new skills, but a new perspective on what a classroom can be: a space for challenge, creativity, and genuine joy in learning.
At Lina Edu, we remain committed to being a supportive post-course partner, ย available for continued collaboration, guidance, and future educational projects long after the course ends.
To our participants from Germany: we wish you every success as you bring these ideas to life in your schools. Your students are lucky to have you.
And to all teachers curious about game-based learning – your adventure can start here too.
#ErasmusPlus #GameBasedLearning #TeacherTraining #InnovativeTeaching #DesignThinking
