How I created Flow, a CCCS-inspired card game

Are you a tutor or student finding it challenging to achieve the right flow in Problem-Based Learning (PBL) sessions? When the flow is there, a PBL session practically runs itself—students understand what’s expected and take charge, allowing tutors to focus on content. However, achieving this can be difficult, especially with new courses and diverse groups. This challenge inspired me to create Flow, a card game designed to support the PBL process.

Initially, Flow was based entirely on the seven steps of PBL. After consulting with the EDLAB team, I discovered that the game would be more useful if it were flexible. To help tutors use Flow in situations where the seven steps are not applicable, I’ve revised the game’s structure. It now revolves around 32 stereotypical student roles, inspired by Professor Henk Schmidt’s work at Maastricht University.

These roles are organised into four types of cards: Participation, Effort, Creativity, and Chaos. Each card type highlights behaviours that either support or disrupt the CCCS principles—constructive, contextual, collaborative, and self-directed learning. For instance, the Chaos cards, like “The Destructivist,” challenge students to disrupt the learning process, while Participation cards encourage following these principles.

To use Flow in your sessions, tutors can simply distribute the cards to students at the start and observe how the session unfolds. The deck includes instructions for the chair and reflection cards for post-session discussion. The goal is to provide students with engaging challenges and learning opportunities in every class.

If you’re interested in seeing how this card game can work in your PBL sessions, you’re warmly invited to join Hüseyin's upcoming CPD workshop on 2 October 2024, 9:00-11:00.