Transitions from undergraduate to postgraduate are recognised as posing particular challenges for students. Graduates from a range of backgrounds are required to learn in a much more independent manner and a high level of academic skills such as critical reading, thinking, and writing are required within the context of a taught master’s or research degree, often in a very different learning mode than the student has previously experienced (O’Donnell, 2009, pp.35-37). This learning context requires both a deep understanding, and the active application of research skills, quite different to learning outcomes related to simply retaining knowledge. Whilst most institutions address the transition by offering courses which aim to improve students’ core research skills, until relatively recently, little research has focussed on the transition into post-graduate study (O’Donnell, 2009; Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, 2017).

This paper concerns the enhancement of the learning outcomes of a taught master’s course at Glasgow School of Art (GSA) entitled Academic Skills for Master’s Research. The course forms part of the Core Research Skills programme at GSA and attracts a range of students from widely diverse backgrounds, some with very little experience of academic writing or formal research methods. Teaching research skills in a way that is meaningful to students and allows them to relate these skills to their real lives is acknowledged as presenting challenges for teachers (Waite & Davis, 2006, p406). This research addressed these challenges by developing an educational game called How to Fail Your Research Degree. The game was iteratively developed and implemented and has been extensively evaluated (n=97) against cognitive Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) and Keller’s ARCS model of motivational learning (Keller, 2010). Evaluation shows that the game is extremely successful at delivering all of the ILOs and emphatically succeeds at Attention, Relevance, and Satisfaction, with moderate success at increasing Confidence. This serious game is an effective, innovative, and enjoyable complement to postgraduate training on research skills. This paper presents insights from this research and reflects on how game-based learning can help to effectively teach research skills.