Games in the Classroom (Part 4)

To Compete or Not To Compete…

That is a very controversial question!

My answer… it depends. I know, I know! What a cop-out, but it really does. Let me explain myself.

What does it depend on? Well, there are a couple of factors. The first one is the students playing the game. The second one is my purpose for playing the game.

Your student should always be the first thing you think about when planning anything. When I think of my students, I think about what they need to learn or practice and then what game would best suit their personalities to motivate them to learn and keep them engaged in the learning during the game. Some students need the competition to keep their interest in the game as they are learning, while others do not. Some students may feel defeated even if they are behind one person. At that point, the game becomes the focus for them.

The game should NEVER be the focus. It should be the medium that stimulates the learning.

I think about the interests of the students and try to incorporate their interests into the game. For example, if I have a student that is interested in rockets, I might use a game board in the shape of a rocket or maybe I just use a generic game board and provide that student with a rocket sticker as his game piece to move around the board.

I think about how the students learn. Do they easily pick up on new material? If so, I might challenge them with questions beyond their ability to test their understanding and build their knowledge. Does it take many encounters with new material before a student learns something new? If so, I might present the same materials over and over again to this student in several different ways during the game. Does the student get easily overwhelmed by new material? If so, I would present material already taught that the student needs practice with most of the time and occasionally throw in some new material after the student has seen/heard other students’ answers. I would watch this student’s body language carefully and make sure to present the student with problems I know he or she knows the answers to before he or she becomes frustrated by the new or challenging experiences. Likewise, I would also watch the student’s body language that finds learning easy; to make sure he or she is staying challenged and engaged in the learning and the game.

After I think about my student, I think about why we are playing the game. Do I want my students to learn something new? If so, I might not want to incorporate a competitive game as I want my students to take risks, make guesses, and not be penalized for wrong answers. In this situation, I might allow the student to try a hard problem first. If he or she misses, I would help the student figure it out. Then, I would allow the student to work through an easier problem in order to take his or her turn for the game. If I am playing a game with the intent of having my students review material they should know, I might incorporate a competitive game to keep the interest high in the game and motivate students to get the answers right.

Are you a competitive spirit? Are you an “everyone gets a trophy” kind of person? Or are you like me… It depends? Share your insights!