C3 SoftWorks

Studies have shown that games are an entertaining and highly effective method to review topics. Would the use of games as a pure instructional medium to teach learning objectives also be effective? The correct answer is “Yes, Absolutely!”

Instructors know their classroom lectures should be engaging, interactive and encompass proven instructional strategies. They also know the importance of assessment and feedback to check for understanding. All these elements can be accomplished using a game in the classroom.

Games Bring Learning to Life
Games make situations come to life. They give your student the opportunity to collaborate with others in a team environment, demonstrate leadership, solve problems, organize details, create and tell stories.
How do you begin to use a game as an instructional tool? Here are Ten Steps & Guidelines we recommend to help you jump-start the design of your game:

1. As with any session you are teaching, define your performance objectives. Make certain they have the three elements of a solid objective:
Task; what do you want your student to be able to do when they leave your classroom?
Condition; under what condition will they perform the task?
Standard; what will be the measurement for knowing what “good” looks like?

Once you have your performance objectives written and approved, you can move on to the next step.

2. Create questions based on your performance objectives. Remember your goal is to effectively communicate the objective, not necessarily to create fun. Granted, you are using a fun method to help you achieve your goal.

3. Choose a game format. Most people are familiar with the Jeopardy-style game format. This format translates well to the classroom because instructors can use multiple categories with four or more questions in each category. Try to vary the question formats by using true-false, open ended, multiple choice, and even questions based upon a display of images or video. Another popular format is the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?-style game. Participants have increasingly difficult multiple choice questions to answer with the aid of the audience, a 50-50 elimination or with the help of other players.

4. Control the pace of the game. Try not to rush through the questions and answers. This will increase comprehension of the questions and retention of the answers. Slow down the game and allow sufficient time to review key points in more detail.

5. Go beyond the questions and answers. Do not limit yourself to using questions or answers in your game to deliver your teaching points. Use your questions as a stepping point to your key points. You can use a question to drill down and talk about multiple points within a game.

6. Use appropriate images, video and audio whenever possible. Having the option of using video files, graphic files and even audio files to review the topics in greater detail enhances the experience for visual and auditory learners. Granted not everyone can run or have access to video, but if you can add images or audio, this will bring the presentation up to another level.

7. Re-purpose your PowerPoint presentation. Chances are you already have content and images in your PowerPoint presentation you can re-use to build your questions and answers. Following the answer portion of your question, you can also deliver a mini lecture within your game using multiple slides from PowerPoint. It is simple to convert a slide to a .SWF or .JPEG file format and import it into the Summary Area. To help you, there are many programs available that will convert slides from PowerPoint into a .SWF format.

8. Read the questions aloud to your audience. This helps with a previous point about pacing. You want your audience to clearly understand the questions so they can answer them correctly and increase their understanding. If it’s taking more than seven seconds for your audience to answer, then repeat the question. It’s the question that gets the audience thinking and this will enhance the learning.

9. Use props or demonstrate procedures. Don’t limit yourself to the visuals or just the questions and answers on the screen. For example, show the class how to perform a three or four-step procedure to process a skill leaving out one step. Ask your audience to identify the next correct step. Base questions off of scenarios that proceed a question. Don’t forget to include those conditions or standards we discussed in Step 1 in your possible answer options!

10. Use summary points. When you watch TV game shows, the objectives are to entertain the viewer, sell commercial advertising and move the game along because it is essentially a competition. Their objective is not to teach or inform. If you are using a game as an instructional medium, always discuss and summarize your key points after each correct answer. This reinforces learning and increases retention.
Summary

Whatever game format you choose, it is your framework for creating an interactive, fun and challenging method of teaching performance objectives. Games help you maintain your audience’s attention longer than traditional lecture coupled with demonstration. Everyone ends up a winner when you help your class retain more information after playing a game.

To learn more: http://www.c3softworks.com