The e(ducation)-pizza game: An invitation to participate and evaluate
Across the University of Leeds, colleagues and students are using the e(ducation)-pizza game to spark and sustain conversations about curriculum and learning design.
Designed as a playful and creative tool, the game invites participants to explore ideas, challenge assumptions, and co-construct approaches to teaching and learning in a collaborative and supportive space.
The e(ducation)-pizza game emerged through a process of people-centred design, grounded in collaboration, experimentation, and shared creativity. It was co-created with students from the School of Design alongside colleagues from the School of Education and other parts of the university, with contributors shaping and testing the resource collectively. The game is also openly licensed, enabling others to adapt and reuse it in their own contexts. This reflects a commitment to openness, shared ownership, and ongoing development (Nerantzi et al., 2023a; Nerantzi et al., 2023b). Conceptually, the game has been positioned as a collaborative thinking tool that supports curriculum and learning design transformation by enabling dialogue, reflection, and imaginative exploration (Nerantzi et al., 2023c).
We are increasingly aware that the e(ducation)-pizza game is now being used in diverse contexts across the university and further afield (Prabowo, 2026), from programme design conversations to student engagement activities and professional development settings. Each use offers a unique perspective on how playful approaches can create space for dialogue, support inclusive practices, and encourage critical reflection.
To better understand how the game is being experienced and used, we are conducting a study to explore its role in facilitating curriculum and learning design conversations in educational settings. This research has ethical approval from the Business, Environment and Social Sciences Faculty at the University of Leeds (Reference BESS+ FREC 0547, 18 September 2023; extension granted on 8 May 2026 until 1 October 2028).
We warmly invite anyone who has used and played the e(ducation)-pizza game to participate in a short survey. Your reflections and experiences will help us build a richer picture of how the game works in practice and how it might be further developed to support imaginative, equitable, and engaging approaches to curriculum design.
Find out more about the study and consider taking part!
The study is conducted by staff and student members, including two PGRs from the School of Education, associated with the Imaginative Curriculum Centre.
We would be delighted to learn from your experiences and continue shaping this work together.
Chrissi Nerantzi is the director for the Imaginative Curriculum Centre, and can be found on LinkedIn here.
References
Nerantzi, C., Hammersley, J., McDonald, D., Briggs, S., Brew, M., Lickiss, M., Gilmore, J., Gooch, L., Iturriagagoitia, M., Reader, C., and Martinez-Arboleda, A. 2023a. e(ducation)-pizza game for curriculum and learning design conversations and transformation. Leeds: University of Leeds. Zenodo. https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.8009637
Nerantzi, C., Hammersley, J., McDonald, D., Briggs, S., Brew, M., Lickiss, M., Gilmore, J., Gooch, L., Iturriagagoitia, M., Reader, C., and Martinez-Arboleda, A. 2023b. People, pizza, play: The co-creation of the e(ducation)-pizza game using people-centred design, Medium. Leeds Educators Present, 23 May 2023.
Nerantzi, C., McDonald, D., Hammersley, J., and Briggs, S. 2023c. The conceptualisation of the e(ducation)-pizza game as a radical collaborative thinking and curriculum and learning design transformation tool’, in Nerantzi, C., Hammersley, J. and Lopez, I. (eds.) Special Issue: Exploring people centred design in the context of curriculum and learning design in higher education. International Journal of Management and Applied Research, 10(2), pp. 149–159.
Prabowo, C. A. 2026. The pizza game. A recipe for meaningful learning. School of Education.
