games as a teaching strategy worksheet

Danielle Herrett NUR 640

Definitions:

Games: activities presided over by specific rules involving varying degrees of chance in which players compete or cooperate through use of knowledge or skill in attempts to reach specific goals (Royse & Newton, 2007).

Serious Games: games that have an educational purpose and non-entertainment goals (Lancaster, 2014).

�1

Objectives:

• Describe how the use of games in the classroom can be an effective teaching strategy

• Select the learning theory that supports games as a teaching strategy

• Describe the different types of serious games

• Identify several strengths and limitations in the use of games as a teaching strategy

• Recognize several factors an educator should consider before selecting or developing a game

Learning Theory:

Constructivism: student-centered, active learning that builds upon previous knowledge base.

Types of Games:

• Social & Cooperative: Jeopardy, Monopoly, Who wants to be a millionaire

• Simulations/Role Playing: Replicate real-life situations, can involve an elaborate amount technology (simulated lab)

• Virtual Environments: Second life, Simschool

GAMES AS A TEACHING STRATEGY

Strengths Limitations Promotes active learning Does not fit all learning styles

Provides immediate feedback Can create a competitive environment

Promotes critical thinking Requires control of the learning environment

Can make learning enjoyable Time intensive

Decreases anxiety in learning Can be costly

Stimulates student interest Can require a degree of technological savviness

Assists in connecting theory to practice

Takes away from other classroom/learning activities


Gaming in the Classroom

• An educator must first consider the content area and develop objectives for the game.

• After this, the educator will then determine the game’s format: content being taught, rules, targeted audience, number of players, and group size

• The educator acts as the facilitator during the game, keeping the game organized and meaningful.

• Rewards can be given to winners as a public display of student achievement.

• The game should be trailed, evaluated, and modified to best fit student needs.

Questions for an Educator to Consider Before Developing or Selecting a Game

• Do the objectives of the game parallel with the course objectives?

• Does the game fit within the curriculum? Is the game relevant to the class? Is the game for review or for deepening understanding of the course material?

• Is the environment appropriate for the game? If the game is digital, is the technology required readily available? Does technological support need to be arranged?

• Is there a time limit for the game? Competition or cooperation between teams? Or is the game to be played as individuals?

• Are the rules for the game communicated clearly? Is the game fun?

• Does the game offer immediate feedback to students? If so, does the feedback assist the student in modifying beliefs or performance in order to improve?

• Does the game measure student comprehension or will it mislead them?

(Bradshaw and Lowenstein, 2014, p. 177)

“ Game based learning is learning through the game rather than learning to play the game.” Wu et al., (2011)

�2

Games rarely succeed as “add-ons," they must be integrated into the overall educational strategy (Bradshaw & Lowenstein, 2015).Evaluating Gaming

• Have students write their own questions for review games

• Pre/Post test or survey

• Debriefing: after completing a gaming activity, allow time for students to reflect upon and discuss what they learned (Robb, 2012).


References

Akl, E., Pretorius, R., Sackett, K., Erdley, W., Bhoopathi, P., Alfarah, Z., & Schünemann, H.

(2010). The effect of educational games on medical students' learning outcomes: A

systematic review: BEME Guide No 14. Medical Teacher, 32(1), 16-27 12p. doi:

10.3109/01421590903473969

Baid, H., & Lambert, N. (2010). Enjoyable learning: the role of humor, games, and fun activities in

nursing and midwifery education. Nurse Education Today, 30(6), 548-552 5p. doi:10.1016/

j.nedt.2009.11.007

Bastable, S. (2014). Nurse as educator: Principles of teaching and learning for nursing practice

(4th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Billings, D., & Halstead, J. (2012). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (4th ed.). St.

Louis: Elsevier Saunders.

Bradshaw, M. & Lowenstein, A. (2014). Innovative teaching strategies in nursing and related

health professions (6th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

DayBlack C., Merrill E., Konzelman L., Williams T., Hart N., (2015). Gamification: An innovative

teaching-learning strategy for the digital nursing students in a community health nursing

course. ABNF Journal, 26(4), 90-94 5p.

De Wit-Zuurendonk, L., & Oei, S. (2011). Serious gaming in women's health care. BJOG: An

International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 11817-21 5p. doi:10.1111/j.

1471-0528.2011.03176.x

�3


Hahn, J. E., & Bartel, C. (2014). Teaching gaming with technology in the classroom: So you want to

be an educator? Nursing Education Perspectives, 35(3), 197-198 2p. doi:10.5480/10-477.1

Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., Freeman, A. (2014). NMC horizon report: 2014 Higher

Education Edition. Austin, Texas: The newmedia consortium.

LeCroy, C. (2006). Games as an innovative teaching strategy for overactive bladder and BPH.

Urologic Nursing, 26(5), 381-393 6p.

Lancaster, R. J. (2014). Serious game simulation as a teaching strategy in pharmacology. Clinical

Simulation in Nursing, 10(3), e129-37 1p. doi:10.1016/j.ecns.2013.10.005

Robb, M. K. (2012). Managing a large class environment: Simple strategies for new nurse educators.

Teaching & Learning in Nursing, 7(2), 47-50 4p. doi:10.1016/j.teln.2011.09.006

Royse, M., & Newton, S. (2007). How gaming is used as an innovative strategy for nursing education.

Nursing Education Perspectives, 28(5), 263-267 5p.

Thompson, M. E., Ford, R., & Webster, A. (2011). Effectiveness of interactive, online games in

learning neuroscience and students' perception of the games as learning tools: A pre-

experimental Study. Journal of Allied Health, 40(3), 150-155 6p.

Wu, W., Hsiao, H., Wu, P., Lin, C., & Huang, S. (2012). Investigating the learning-theory foundations

of game-based Learning: A meta-analysis. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 28(3),

265-279.

�4

games as a teaching strategy worksheet

Documents