The Games People Play

by Joanne LeBrun, EMT, MSEd

Published in the Winter 2003 edition of the Maine EMS I/C News

Have you used games in your EMS classroom to enhance learning? Provide a review? Have some fun? Using games is one of many strategies you can employ to help the learner learn. Games can range from the very simple such as matching, to the more complex such as puzzles, board games, and even on-line games. Some of the games that I have seen commonly used in EMS courses are Jeopardy, So You Want To Be a Millionaire?, and Trivial Pursuit. I often use a form of Bingo in some of my classes.

Games are a great way to help learners interact with each other and become actively involved in their own learning. Games should, however, be used judiciously. They can take up quite a bit of time, both to prepare and to play. As with any presentation strategy, your choice must fit the overall personality of the class, the subject matter, and your comfort level with games. Some learners do not like playing games, some learners can become too competitive and lose sight of the learning objective, and some subjects are not appropriate for games.

Here are a few important tips to keep in mind when using games. This list is adapted from <www.thiagi.com>.

1. Keep the game relevant: Will the game reinforce content learning? Or help the learners reinforce an action they might have to take in the field? Will the game help reinforce course learning objectives?

2. How Much Time Is Needed?: If a game goes on too long it can become boring. If it is too short, will everyone have a chance to participate? Remember to allow time for setup, cleanup, rules review, and fun!

3. Is the Game Flexible?: Can the game and its rules be easily adapted for your use?

4. Participant Involvement: Are all participants involved in the training game, in some way or another, at all times?

5. Are the Instructions Clear?: The instructions and the rules should be clear to all participants. Even adults hate to have the rules change part way through a game. Avoid complicated and trivial rules. Write them out. Ground rules for class conduct during the game are important to avoid unfriendly competition or embarrassment.

6. Will the Learner Be Required to Think?: A game is designed to enhance learning, therefore challenging tasks and interesting, complex questions should be used.

7. How Will the Game Be Scored?: Determine ahead of time how the game will be scored. Will it require just a random chance to be correct or will the material be based on learning objectives? Will there be prizes? Will everyone who participates be acknowledged? How will you handle too much competition?

8. Is The Game Easy to Play?: Can you, as the facilitator, set up and explain the game easily, and can the participants learn the rules easily so the playing becomes fun and not a chore?

There are many resources available for developing and using games. If you are interested in learning more about games and finding some new games, you might find the following web sites useful.

References and Resources:

<http://www.thiagi.com/tips.html>

Some tips, tricks, and techniques for facilitators.

<http://www.quia.com/>

Quia, pronounced “key‑uh,” is short for Quintessential Instructional Archive. Quia provides a variety of educational services, including:

§ A directory of thousands of online games and quizzes in more than 40 subject areas

§ Templates for creating 13 different types of online games, including flashcards, matching, concentration (memory), word search, hangman, challenge board, and rags to riches (a quiz‑show style trivia game)

§ Tools for creating on-line quizzes

§ Quiz administration and reporting tools

§ Free teacher home pages

<http://edweb.sdsu.edu/course/edtec670/cardboard/CardboardCognition.html>

This compilation is the result of thousands of hours of work and several hundred hours of fun. In the fall semesters of 1991 to 1997, San Diego State University students in EDTEC 670 created these games:

Cardboard Cognition

Content x Age Group Matrix

The games in this compilation cover a wide range of subject matters, contexts and learner groups. Use this matrix to zero in on a game that might be of use to you, or look in an empty cell in the matrix and give yourself the challenge of designing something to fill it in.

<http://www.alaskaems.org/trainthetrainer.ppt>

This is a PowerPoint presentation that reviews some of the major concepts of adult learning and focuses on using games in the EMS classroom.

<http://reviewing.co.uk/reviews/training-activities.htm - activities>

This web site list many of the resources available for use in developing and using games, and even has some free download information about using learning games.

All links were active as of 1/27/03.