In this blog post, we would like to outline a game-based approach to open education (OE). For this purpose, we present a workshop concept centred around a ‘board game’: the Open Education Diamond Game, which suggests 23 reasons for OE. First, we describe the workshop concept, for which all materials are also available online under a CC licence, and then we talk to people who tell us about the background to its creation, as well as their experiences in implementing it.
An article by Dr. Magdalena Spaude
Description of the Open Education Diamond Game
The Open Education Diamond Game was invented by the UNESCO Chair RELIA (Ressources Éducatives Libres et Intelligence Artificielle, translation: Open Educational Resources and Artificial Intelligence) at the University of Nantes (France) under the direction of Colin de la Higuera, professor of Computer Science. The materials for the game are available in several languages, including German, and are licensed under CC BY 4.0. The game has now been played many times in various workshops, for example by Erwan Louërat at the 5th anniversary of the European university alliance EUniWell in Cologne.
The game consists of a set of 23 cards, each representing a good reason to adopt open education, e.g. sharing knowledge, reducing costs, promoting collaboration, improving quality. These 23 good reasons for open education were described in detail in 23 blog articles published during the 2025 Open Education Week. There are also 6 role cards, representing people who play an important role in higher education: students, teachers (one defensive and one enthusiastic), librarians, directors (e.g. institute or university) and (education) minister. In the center of the board there are nine squares arranged in five rows in the shape of a diamond. Nine of the 23 reasons are to be distributed across these nine squares. Each of the five rows has a meaning, which is described on the game board:
- 1st row: essential
- 2nd: important
- 3rd: neutral
- 4th: touchy
- 5th: counterproductive
Further, there is a square on the game board where role cards are to be placed.
Gameplay
The game is played by a group of e.g. 4-6 people and lasts approximately 30 minutes. The group first selects a role card that suits them and places it on the designated spot. Then, based on the 23 cards, participants must create an argument of 9 cards (=reasons) to convince the chosen person (the role) to adopt open education, ranking them from the most impactful (lines 1 and 2) to those that could be poorly received by the person (lines 4 and 5). This approach ensures lively discussions and debates, with the aim of reaching a common agreement on the ranking of the nine cards.
The workshop leader can decide whether to provide participants with all 23 cards or just a selection in order to limit the time required for the game. The second method has proven to be more effective. Participants can look at the remaining cards after the workshop, for example, when all materials are made available to them.
Framework concept for an OE workshop
A workshop that incorporates the OE Diamond Game can last between one and two hours. The workshop could begin with a round of introductions, during which participants also share their prior knowledge and experience of OE. This can be followed by an input phase, which either introduces the concept of OE and/or the OE projects of the institution itself. Alternatively, a teacher from the institution who is experienced in OE (possibly together with learners) can report on their experiences and share their perspective. There are certainly many possibilities here that can be adapted to the occasion and the target group.
The second block consists of the OE Diamond Game, in which, ideally, several groups participate, each receiving a set of materials and then (hopefully) selecting different role cards as a group. As mentioned above, approximately 30 minutes should be allocated for the game and discussion.
In the third block, the groups present their solutions one after the other, explaining their choice of cards and also indicating where there may have been a need for further discussion. At the end, the participants can share their most important insights from the workshop with the group, for example in a short round of verbal feedback. The game plans can be photographed for documentation purposes and made available to the participants in digital form.
Interview with Colin de la Higuera und Erwan Louërat on the history of its creation and experiences with its implementation
Mr de la Higuera, your chair developed the OE Diamond Game. How did you come up with the idea?
To be fair, the diamond activity is a well-documented activity which has been used before in very different settings. I was fortunate to play it in a Council of Europe symposium, on a very different topic (AI and democracy). I was then surprised at how having to prioritize things allows interesting debates and conversations. So we adapted it to the context of OER and then more generally to open education. We started with just 9 cards and now have 23! It has been translated to half a dozen languages and I was fortunate to run the activity in very different places like Uruguay or the Philippines. And always with a lot of fun and interest.[CdlH]
Were there any rules or aspects in the first versions of the game that did not work as you had imagined? Which ones? And how did you change them?
In the first version there was no specified role. And therefore, the participants would answer “it depends”. We introduced the role to allow more focused conversations. It always pays off to take a role you have to interact with but which is not yours. In Quebec, I once had a group of librarians taking the role of teachers. It was very instructive to listen how they imagined a teacher would answer! [CdlH]
And of course we would like to know if you have a favourite reason for OE among the 23 reasons? You can even choose two. 😊
I suppose that the one I promote is the one on sustainable education. But careful. There are two cards here. One stresses the important issue of sustainability with respect to energy issues for instance. The other one is that we would want education to be sustainable in the sense that it should last. What we learn today should not have a short expiry date like the day after the exam! Some take this for granted but I believe we have been building an education very short term. And since I am allowed to promote a second card, I’ll go for “Separate Fake from Truth”. Recently, the press published a piece telling us that they were teaching 8 year-old children this sort of stuff at the age of 8. And I can understand how they do it in Finland, because their education system is so different. But I would dread such a class in other countries where this would just be top-down. [CdlH]
Mr Louërat, you have run the game several times as a workshop leader. What do you like most about this concept of engaging with open education from the perspective of a workshop leader?
I believe that open education in itself is not difficult to grasp, but during awareness-raising sessions it is easy to go too deeply into complex and technical details. This workshop helps avoid that situation, by striking a good balance between the facilitator providing inputs on OE and giving participants enough time to reflect on and understand it based on their own experiences and sensitivities, the discussions within their group, and the concluding plenary discussion.
In addition, the game is designed to be played by a wide range of audiences. I have had the opportunity to run this workshop with participants from diverse backgrounds, including different professional profiles (academic and administrative staff), as well as national and cultural backgrounds. It’s always very pleasant to provide to them a space to meet and discuss together, and to observe the different perspectives that emerge. By dividing the participants into small groups, we also aim to ensure that everybody gets the opportunity to speak. [EL]
What do you think the participants, the players, like best? Or what reactions have you observed while playing?
Beyond exploring open education, this workshop encourages participants to reflect on the current state of our education systems and its fundamental values. I think participants appreciate having this dedicated time to discuss together these issues, share their own experience and thoughts, and listen to those of others.
While the game is introduced, after the short input on OE, participants usually go through a brief moment of confusion before becoming more familiar with the goal and the cards. The session then quickly shifts into lively conversations, and sometimes even heated debates, but always in a positive and friendly atmosphere! [EL]
And as a final question, what is your favourite reason for OE?
That is a tough question! But I would say „Share knowledge“. It is quite straightforward, but what I like about it is its twofold nature. Open education allows knowledge to be shared beyond geographical, institutional, or social boundaries. Through open educational resources, I can contribute my own expertise, but I can also learn from others, anytime and from anywhere, without limitations based on who they are or where they come from. For me, having this easier access to other perspectives, forms of knowledge, and practices is both extremely important and valuable. [EL]
Thank you both for your insights and, of course, for this wonderful idea. We are very excited to hear the feedback from the German OE community.
Dieser Text steht unter der CC BY 4.0-Lizenz. Der Name des Urhebers soll bei einer Weiterverwendung wie folgt genannt werden: Dr. Magdalena Spaude, Universität zu Köln für OERinfo – Die Informationsstelle OER
