Games for Learning

Andy Griffith

Outline for the sessionCan we explore:

1. The importance of play in learning?

2. Different types of games?3. Managing students before, during

and after games?4. Unpicking the learning from

games?5. Build your confidence in the using,

adapting and devising games?

Emotionally mature people are:

AUTHENTIC

VIVACIOUS

PLAYFUL

Affluenza by Oliver James

Playing games

All games gave

a distinct STRUCTURE and RULES

Speed Dating Hopes Analysis

Games for different personalities!

Personality Types

Types of GamesCreative thinking gamesProblem-solving gamesStrategy GamesMystery gamesDecision making gamesCommunication gamesEnergising gamesStory gamesQuestion gamesConcentration gamesLanguage gamesNumber gamesMemory games

http://www.online-stopwatch.com/

Known to the Unknown

First start off with something they know and can make a positive association with.

Facts in Five

FOOD DRINK BOOK SINGER MEN

M

A

L

T

I

Using Bloom’s Taxonomy

EVALUATION Making judgements. Assessing the value of something against a set of criteria (Judge, Recommend, Evaluate, Prioritise, Give

opinions)

SYNTHESIS Using old ideas to create something new. Relate knowledge from different sources (Design, Compose, Create, Hypothesise, Re- arrange)

ANALYSIS Seeing patterns, Understanding how parts relate to the whole. Recognising structure (Investigate, Classify, Compare, Contrast)

APPLICATION Using knowledge to solve problems (Make, Build, Demonstrate, Map, Draw)

COMPREHENSIONUnderstanding information. Grasping meaning (Give examples, Explain, Show)

KNOWLEDGE Observing and recalling information. (Tell,Recite, Make a list, What …?)

Facts in Five ? ? ? ? ?

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Known to the Unknown

First: start off with something they know and can make a positive association with.

Then: teacher applies this to a topic.

Then: student applies.

Tarsia

andy@malit.org.ukwww.malit.org.uk

Free Stuff!

ENTRY (Thinking) GAMESODD ONE OUT

WORDLES/DINGBATS

THINKING ABCs

MORAL DILEMMAS

baa a+b+c+d+e

1000cd

b+e+d ad - 12 ced

e²+b² - a²

b+a+b+e 6e + 7d (abc)+ d² cab 8c – 8a

ba+ba b+e+ad

b²+c² 3dec

be – b 12a + 5c bead e + b² 3c³

abc² (da)² abc – d 3d bee (da)² + da² bed

bad de+da dee deb d² caca 7e + 7c

ccd d+eb² 2a + 3b + 4c

ab+ba (abc)² ce + da b+a+d

8d - a² 5bc d²+5c 9b² 5db

da² a³

a = 3 b = 2 c = 5 d = 10 e = 4

Take turns to pick a square and calculate the value of the expression. Try to be the first player to connect four in a row. Then try to be the player with the most squares!

Living Graphs

Overfishing

Series1

Time

Total catch

Can’t Play; Won’t Play

Who won’t play and why?

Motivational Styles/DeficitsLearned Helplessness(Seligman, 1975)

“What’s the point? I’m going to fail ANYWAY.”

Students do not persist or take chances.

When they fail they Personalise it, think it will be Pervasive, and think it will be Permanent.

High self-worth concern and the threatened sense of self (Covington, 1984):

“I’m not doing this, it’s rubbish”

Fear being seen as incompetent.

Prefer to be seen as rude and abusive rather than having their ability called into question.

Games for Ideas

“If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.”

Albert Einstein

Some Ground rules, maybe?• “We encourage everyone to

contribute ideas.”• “We give reasons for our ideas

and opinions.”• “We can disagree with others but

we treat other people’s ideas with respect.”

• “We are prepared to change our minds but we don’t have to.”

• “We work with our group members and teachers to learn.”

Contracts• Group and Individual• Example: ABCDEF

Ask Questions

Be Open

Communicate

Do Your best

Enjoy yourself (and let others enjoy themselves)

Freeze on command!Sign _______________

Motivational Triggers(why people want to learn)

• Choice• Challenge• Curiosity• Competency• Positive

expectations

• Fun• Fantasy• Relationships• Relevance• Fear/Thrill

Playing Games

First: CONTAIN

Then: ENTERTAIN

Then: EXPLAIN

Ian Gilbert – Essential Motivation

Creating the playful classroom

Group Norms for your classroom/learning area?

USA UK

1

2 3 4

PIMP YOUR LESSON

Before After

3 Minute Motivators - Steps:

1. Cue to gain attention.2. Explain why motivator being used.3. Explain the activity.4. Remind students to begin and freeze on cue.5. Cue to begin.6. Present the 3 Minute Motivator.7. Cue to Stop.8. Conclude and refocus by summarising what

was done and why.

Step 2

Explain why the motivator is being used:

“I have lost you…”

“You seem restless…”

“I can see you need a break…”

“You seem to need some talk time…”

Step 8

Conclude and refocus by summarising what was done and why:

“We were all a bit restless so we just played _______. Now that you’ve used up a bit of energy its time to return to…”

“You seemed sleepy and many of you were losing attention so we played _______. Now that you’re awake…”

“I felt we needed a quick break so we played _______. Okay now back to …”

3 Minute Motivators - examples

• Questions only• Physical ‘jerks’• Personal Best• Verbal Tennis• Shared pen and Double pen games• Box me in!• Karate time• Story Games• Get Shirty• Chinese Whispers

• Silent Maths• Syllables• Charade Challenge• X-Factor• Beat the Teacher• Speed Dating• Back to back, Walk-Stop • Continuum• Rapidough• Unusual images• Imagine If…

Mystery Games

CONSENSUS on “Generation Y”

‘Boomers’

1943 – 63

Gen. X

1964 – 81

Gen. Y

1982 – 2001

‘Millennials’

2001 – 2022?

‘Idealist’ ‘Reactive’

‘Civic’ ‘Adaptive’

Howe & Strauss, 1991

Encouraging Deeper Thinking

• POINT = 1 point• BECAUSE = 2 points • THEREFORE = 3 points• HOWEVER = 4 pointsBe able to answer a Question well

More wisdom than professors!

“It ain’t what you do; it’s the way that you do it – that’s what gets results.” Bananarama