competition and games to motivate
In my classes, the students play family feud with the test information for the week as a way to drill and also to motivate them to learn and study. We divide into two teams and go to the board. I call out the terms or information and they race to write the answer on the board. The losing team has to dance for the other team. It is fun and it really motivates the students to study and learn the material.
That's a great idea! How could you do this in a chat???
Hi John-Howard,
You make a very good point about games in the classroom and how they can be used. Your last point is key in that it does depend on what your content area is.
For my content area the use of games really enhances learning and retention of content, in addition to the excitement the competition generates for the students.
Games won't work in all situations and instructors need to see how they will fit into their instructional delivery.
Gary
The problem I find with game-type competitions in the classroom is that the students often focus on the game rather than what they are learning from it. I've tried games in class several times, and found them to be high-effort in creation, while not particulary distinguishable as a factor in outcome success.
Of course, it is entirely possible that in other classroom situations with other topics, a game could work quite well.
That is brillant and something that I am going to implement in my classes!
As I read your post, I thought how wonderful it would be to use the Smartboard to play this game or others to reinforce material that has been taught. I like how you keep them active in the learning process. I have found that the class time 'flies by' when I incorporate a different activity each week.
