Panopticon: The Design and Evaluation of a Game that Teaches Data Science Students Designing Privacy

Panopticon is an educational board game that teaches data science students how to design privacy-sensitive data practices through interactive gameplay. Drawing inspiration from Monopoly, this game reimagines financial systems as a data economy where players alternate between being digital service users and developers.

Contents

• Game Overview
• Game Materials
• Setup Instructions
• Facilitation Tips
• Video Tutorials
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Citation

Game Overview

Drawing inspiration from Monopoly, Panopticon reimagines financial systems as a data economy where players alternate between being digital service users and developers. In this game, players navigate a game board, claiming digital services by iteratively creating privacy designs, critiquing others' designs, and revising their own based on peer feedback.

Core Mechanics

• Data Points: Function as currency; developers spend them to enter the market and earn them when users access their services
• Trust Scores: Measure privacy design quality; decrease when users identify privacy concerns through critiques
• Critiques and Inquiries: Players learn by critiquing and inquiring others' designs and receiving feedback on their own

Game Materials

This repository contains all materials needed to play Panopticon:

• Game Board: PDF (A3 preferred, or 2 A4 sheets connected)
• Game Rules: PDF | Markdown
• Design Worksheet: PDF
• Task Bank: PDF | Markdown

File Formats

• PDF Files: Ready for printing without modifications
• Markdown Files: Editable versions if you wish to customize or expand on the materials

Setup Instructions

1. Print the Game Board: Ideally on A3 paper. If unavailable, print on two A4 sheets and put them together.
2. Print Design Worksheets: One per player.
3. Prepare Task Bank: Print or have digital access to the task scenarios.
4. Gather Supplies:
   • Dice (1-2)
   • Player tokens (3-4 game pieces that represent each player as they move around the game board)
   • Whiteboard or papers and pens for each player
   • Timer
5. Assign a Teacher/Facilitator: One person should act as the judge who scores critiques.

Before starting, walk players through:

• The game board layout and different types of spaces
• How to use the design worksheet
• Critique scoring criteria (specificity, justifiability, and actionability)

Hand each player:

• A design worksheet
• Paper for notes
• A game piece
• 1,000 data points

Facilitation Tips

For the Teacher/Facilitator

• Familiarize yourself with the scoring criteria for critiques before starting
• Encourage specific, actionable feedback rather than vague criticism
• Keep the game moving at a good pace to maintain engagement
• Allocate appropriate time limits for design creation (2 minutes) and revisions (1 minute)

For Players

• Focus on collabrative learning rather than winning
• Be constructive in your critiques
• Use the worksheet structure to organize your thoughts

Video Tutorials

To help with the game setup and guide you through the design worksheet, we have recorded a tutorial video. You can watch it here or click the thumbnail below:

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many players can participate?
A: Panopticon works best with 3-4 players, but can be adapted for 2 players or larger groups divided into teams.

Q: How long does a game session take?
A: A typical session lasts 40-60 minutes. It can be extended or shortened based on learning objectives.

Q: Do players need prior knowledge of privacy concepts?
A: Basic familiarity with privacy concepts is helpful but not required. The game itself teaches key privacy design considerations.

Q: How should critiques be evaluated?
A: Critiques should be scored based on:

• Specificity: How precise and detailed is the feedback?
• Justifiability: Is the critique supported by valid reasoning?
• Actionability: Does the critique provide clear direction for improvement?

Q: Can the game be played remotely?
A: Yes, with modifications. Use virtual whiteboards for the game board and worksheets, and video conferencing for discussions.

Citation

When you use Panopticon for your research, please cite us:

@article{panopticon_2025,
    title={Panopticon: The Design and Evaluation of a Game that Teaches Data Science Students Designing Privacy},
    journal = {Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies},
    author = {Tian, Yuhe and Chu, Shao-Yu and Liu, Yuxuan and Jin, Haojian},
    year = {2025},
}