Student‑Designed Conversation Scavenger Hunts: A Game‑Based Approach to Building Interpersonal Communication Skills

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Future of Teaching and Education

Year: 2026

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Student‑Designed Conversation Scavenger Hunts: A Game‑Based Approach to Building Interpersonal Communication Skills

Prof. Dr. James Melton

ABSTRACT:

Interpersonal, face to face communication proficiency has declined due to widespread smartphone use, distraction, and “phubbing” behaviors—patterns documented across both laboratory and naturalistic studies (Misra et al., 2014; Vanden Abeele et al., 2024; Knausenberger et al., 2022; Rahmah & Sanyata, 2024; Dwyer et al., 2018). Students recognize this problem as well. In two of my undergraduate business communication classes, more than 90% of students selected interpersonal, real time conversational skills, such as listening, managing anxiety, building confidence, and forming relational connections, as their primary developmental goals.
Together, student self awareness and a growing research consensus point to the need for pedagogical approaches that provide structured, experiential opportunities for interpersonal practice. Game based learning offers a strong pathway: communication and role play games have been shown to lower anxiety, foster collaboration, and create good environments for practicing interpersonal skills.
To address this need, I assign a multi week design thinking project in which student groups create “conversation scavenger hunt” games—sets of real world interpersonal challenges such as asking for directions, starting conversations with unfamiliar people, or deepening existing relationships. Students identify communication needs, brainstorm tasks, build prototypes, self test them, exchange games with peers for feedback, and revise based on actual interaction experiences. This approach helps students view building interpersonal communication skills as a solvable design problem, encourages real world engagement, and reframes interpersonal practice as creative exploration. This presentation offers a pedagogical overview of the project and examines its benefits, limitations, and other considerations, as well as its potential for application across communication, leadership, and first year programs.

Keywords: Interpersonal Communication, Conversation Skills, Game‑Based Learning, Experiential Learning, Interpersonal Communication Conversation Skills Game‑Based Learning Experiential Learning, Design Thinking