School is a game: Faculty set the rules

Some students often exhibit less-than-ideal learning behaviors such as cramming for exams, focusing on memorization versus comprehension, multi-tasking during class, etc. One approach to understanding and addressing these issues is through a “school as game” mental model. Success in the “game of school”, especially in rigorous professional and graduate programs, requires not only knowledge and skill, but also strategy. Because of time demands, students must often make strategic decisions regarding class attendance, attention, study time, and study methods. This commentary describes a mental model in which faculty can examine student learning behaviors within the context of their teaching and assessment criteria. Instructors should consider how both the written and unwritten rules of their courses may actually incentivize undesirable student learning behaviors.