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hubie [soylentnews.org] writes:

Board game developed by scientists is winning plaudits for inspiring students to consider STEM careers [diamond.ac.uk]:

A team of scientists and a games specialist have designed 'Diamond: The Game', a board game developed to give secondary school students a chance to explore a broad range of STEM scientific careers and subjects. This is achieved through first-hand experience of the different aspects of working in scientific research and life as a scientist and shows how research at a facility like Diamond underpins successful science. [...]

Dr Mark Basham and Dr Claire Murray from the UK's national synchrotron Diamond Light Source and Dr Matthew Dunstan from the University of Cambridge created the game for 2-5 players. It lasts between 20-30 minutes and is for ages 10 and up. It puts students directly in the role of a researcher at Diamond, visiting different beamlines (laboratories) to make progress in a diverse range of scientific projects in Physics, Chemistry, Cultural Heritage, and more.

[...] The game was developed in line with Diamond's Public Engagement programme which actively promotes careers in STEM to secondary level students who can visit the facility and see their scientific curricula in action. The target for the game was to therefore create an engagement option for schools that were not able to visit the facility. This became even more important with the advent of the pandemic. The team say that the potential for a resource like this to function in both formal and informal settings make it a valuable tool in multiple learning environments, especially as there is evidence children as early as seven make career limiting decisions.

This paper showcases a gaming approach which could be adapted by educators, educational professionals, or subject enthusiasts to cover any desired topic of study ie. not limited to STEM subjects and could be transferred to the broader curriculum. Diamond – The Game reflects the interdisciplinary nature of science undertaken at a facility like the Diamond synchrotron and how it underpins work on everything from fragments of Rembrandt's painting of Homer, COVID-19 drug screening, to the degradation of the Mary Rose Tudor warship and much more.

If you want to grab a few friends and play the home version, they released a Print and Play version [diamond.ac.uk] in 2020.

Journal Reference:
Murray et al. Diamond: The Game – a board game for secondary school students promoting scientific careers and experiences. Research for All, 6(1): 14. DOI: 10.14324/RFA.06.1.14 [doi.org]

Original Submission