Engage students with elements of fun - "Bag of Tricks"
Learning should also be fun. After having been an Information Technology professional for over 25 years and an educator for 15+ years, I use my IT skills to create fun and educational online games to use in the classroom to review prior lessons to prepare for exams, to schema build to determine what they already know, and to introduce new materials. My students enjoy these games, because they are different assessment tools, and they can be fun. If the class has 8 or more students, I will put them in groups to play the games. At times I use the games to award extra points. Each time they win a round in the game, they have to explain to the class what the “word” or “phrase” means. If you would like to use these tools, you may visit www.wordup2u.com. I would also appreciate feedback on the games.
Hi Bobbie
Yes I agree 100%. I also enjoy the hollywood squares or millionare in my Anatomy & Physiology class. This works well with exams reviews.
Cece
I agree with you that learning should be fun. During the first class of the term, I try to introduce a team-building, fun and educational activity. I teach fashion sketching, so this exercise may not apply to other subject matters. I break the class in to four groups. Each group needs to elect a team leader. Then each group is assigned a part of the body, group one the head, group two, the torso, group three the arms and four the legs. The goal is =for them to build a fashion figure based on a period of design. The team leaders need to coordinate between themselves so there group design fits into the next. The result is usually a very creative figure with a class of stranger now working together as a team. A lot of discussion and laughing is going on and the awkward beginning of a class is now overcome. They also learn on many levels: team building, leadership skills, fashion figure proportions, the period of fashion just to name a few.
Hi Barbara,
One of the challenges is the one you stated. A lot of content in a short period of time. Is there any chance of using case studies or examples to engage the students. Can you have them make mini-presentations or discussions. You could time them so that the topic wouldn't get to big and take too much time.
Gary
Any suggestions on how to liven up normally dry classes like Constitutional Law? I have the knowledge and the enthusiasm for the sbject, and the students know it, but I have adifficult time keeping their interest. If I had the time, I could incorporate learning games, etc., but I have a lot of material to cover in a relatively short period of time
Hi Bobbie,
I just completed going to your website and exploring your learning tools/games. Great job! I like the way you have made them simple to use and even easier learn from. I am sure students really like use them for learning new material as well as reviewing for quizzes.
Thank you for sharing them with u.
Gary
Hi Loma,
This does sound like a fun way to teach anatomy. Wish I had had you as an instructor when I was taking my anatomy courses. To say the courses were fun would be an understatement. They were taught as a form of torture rather than positive learning experiences.
Gary
I, too, use engaging tools in the classroom- when I am teaching about professionalism and communication- I use index cards and have the students list what characteristics they think make a professional person and then we play match up when i get to that part in the lecture. I also have them experience disabilities in the older adult when I talk about educating the older adult in the medical office setting- I actually simulate a blind person, a hearing impaired person , and a person with neuropathy of their fingers to illustrate the difficulties they have in learning and communication and in performing tasks. They love it and love to volunteer to participate. The rest of the class loves it.
I would appreciate some feedback from the online tools that I created.
You may print off the instructions on how to use them.
Visit: www.wordup2u.com
Yes, I agree with learning being fun. It has been shown it increases retention by 70% when students learn in a fun environment. I like to use "Simon Says" game for teaching anatomy, some med term,topigraphical landmarks and patient positioning. I line everyone against the wall and say Simon Says Point to the olecranon process on the person to your right or point to the distal portion of your right foot. OOPS! Simon didn't say. Position yourself in a Right Posterior Obligue. The learning curve increases with peers watching!
Hi Bobbie,
Thank you for sharing this strategy with us. I know it will be of value to many other instructors. Sounds like a lot of fun for the students as well as being an effective learning tool.
Gary
