building better review games

SEVEN DESIGN ELEMENTS FOR

BUILDING BETTER REVIEW GAMES

Engagement

Challenge

Accessibility

Action & Expression

Empathy

Iteration

Representation

We don't teach content. We teach people.

• Instead of a test, call it a game.
• Where and how the activity is posted can make a difference.
• ceiling, under desks, hallways, horizontal, etc

Tests, but fun

Video game failure rate- 80% The harder the game, the more likely kids will return to play. -Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal

Designed to fail

Scale desired difficulty Green route - easiest Yellow route- middle difficulty Red route- hardest Start with a bellringer choice board. Do this every day and let students strategize and pick their routes. Many will level themselves up.

Differentiate

Make it SAFE to fail

Specific Actional Feedback Expediently

1. Physical Action-
1. interact with accessible materials & tools
2. Expression & Communication-
1. compose and share ideas using tools that help attain learning goals
3. Executive Functions-
1. Develop & act on plans to make the most out of learning.

What is it?

Have students build what they're learning. Put it in a slide and explain. Take it apart and do another one!

Model it

Students work in teams to complete content tasks while also seeing which group can build the tallest structure in the time allotted! Recover- get a question Solve- answer the questions Roll- to see what building resources your team gets!

Be a character/person/situation, act as an emcee and introduce topic, or roast the content.

Boast, Roast, or Toast

1. Recruit Interest- spark excitement and curiosity for learning 2. Sustaining effort & persistence- tackle challenges with focus and determination 3. Self Regulation- harness the power of emotions & motivation in learning

Get them interested from the get go

Students have a time limit to write as many things from the previous lesson on their paper. BUT DON'T LET THE OTHER TEAMS SEE! If two teams have the same thing written, they cancel each other out.

Big Sheet Keepaway

Most of our review games are the same format as Math Blaster from the 90s. Here's the problem. Click the right answer. Kahoot, Gimkit, Blooket, Quizziz. It's just a multiple choice test in fun colors.

Universal design for learning

Shake it up!

3 Universal Design Elements

1. Engagement
1. Recruiting interest, Sustaining effort & persistence, Self Regulation
2. Representation
1. Perception, language & symbols, comprehension
3. Action & Expression
1. Physical action, expression & communication, executive functions

Let's put the review and interpretation on the kids to level up their engagement & creativity!

Virtual Story Dice

The Noun Project

Iteration

Students need to know that it's ok to get it wrong.

Having them explain their how and why can let you see where the confusion happened. By using this way of thinking, they're learning that the process is more important than the product. Yeah, you can get the answer, but WHY is that the answer?

• Adjustments- twists:
• Achiever- harder letters worth more points (scrabble style), in order get 100 extra points, streak bonuses
• Explorer- hidden point values, a certain time- change topic; x number of nouns/verbs/etc
• Socializer- working together, can swap answers if stuck
• Griefer- working against each other; if I come up with 2 for a letter you already have, I get the letter; guess the same word, you both lose the letter

What kind of players do you have in your classes?

The Bartle Test

Players tend to engage in games for 4 main reasons:

Most review games only appeal to these types of students. Think kahoot, blooket, gimkit, etc. How can we create games that will engage all students? Try using an empathy map to get in the mindset of your players!

• Achiever- ~10%
• Score points, Win games, See results

• Most likely to cheat- will sacrifice learning to achieve points or grades
• Explorer- ~10%
• Discover things, Unlock secrets, Loves surprises
• Minecraft & legos
• Socializer- ~80%
• Talk it out, Collect & trade, Laugh together

• Apples to Apples, Cards Against Humanity, Among Us
• Griefer- ~1%
• Attack rivals, Spring traps, Wreak havoc, the blue shell player

• When done correctly, can bring more players to engage

Empathy Mapping

What is truly engaging?

• Every activity can have elements of playful learning and engagement

Tip: add a progress meter

• Helps students see where they started and how far they've come

We are not moved to action when we understand. We are moved to action when we feel understood.

Active Learning

Try some of these: 1. Brackets

Studies show students in "active learning" classrooms retain more information. Students should not be audience members to their own learning.

Create a bracket for your topic and have students fill it out and argue their reasonings.

• Perception
• interact with flexible content that doesn't depend on a single sense like signs, hearing, movement, or touch
• Language & sylbols
• Communicate through languages that create shared understanding
• Comprehension

2. Candy Bar Challenge Write as many original sentences about the current unit of study as you can. The catch? Every single sentence will need to incorporate the name of a famous candy or Candy bar