Fun And Games....In The Classroom?

Active learning techniques have been shown to improve student interest in and learning of course materials. New educators, however, can find it challenging to incorporate active learning experiences into their courses. This paper will discuss the use of games, from simple icebreaker exercises to more complex learning activities, as active learning experiences in the classroom. Examples for small and large classrooms will be presented, as well as some of the challenges in incorporating these exercises into the curriculum. Introduction When did learning stop being fun? Children show an innate curiosity to the world around them. Everyday is a fun learning experience as children discover how the world around them works. Somewhere between childhood and college the idea that learning is fun is lost, with most college courses focusing solely on content while neglecting enjoyment. There is a certain amount of information that does need to be conveyed and traditional lectures may work well for this. However, varying the way that information is presented helps to keep the students and the faculty engaged in the learning process. Day after day of traditional lectures can make it difficult for the students to digest all the material and make instructors feel like they are just relaying information instead of teaching. Neglecting fun in the classroom can be a mistake. Fun and games can help the classroom in three main ways: Address the needs of individual and varied learning styles of students, 1. Encourage students to actively participate in learning, 2. Reinforce concepts through repetition in unique ways. 3. First, students each have their own learning style, and learn in vastly different ways. Some students prefer a reflective approach to learning, while others prefer to debate and discuss new concepts. Games introduce an active and fun component to class, which helps to engage active learners. By P ge 885.1 “Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright 2003, American Society for Engineering Education” changing our teaching styles1, we engage all learners in our classroom and address the learning needs of different students. Trying new things in the classroom also helps instructors to feel challenged and energized. Secondly, studies have shown that students learn more by being active participants in the subject material2 7. Retention of knowledge and interest in the subject material are enhanced, and students master higher level thinking skills relative to traditional lectures7. Studies have shown that active learning of material leads to 90% retention of the subject matter, while less than 30% is retained when the material is only heard or seen8. Students’ attention spans are also limited to ten minutes of passive learning9. There are many examples of the success of active techniques. Hands-on activities in a physics classroom increased student performance on standardized exams by two standard deviations when compared to students in traditional courses10. In another classroom, students were formed into groups and asked to solve a murder11. Faculty served the role of witnesses and experts, while students discovered and learned the traditional concepts of the course in a discovery based environment. While some students found the unstructured nature of the course distracting, most students enjoyed the experience and greater participation and attendance was noted by the instructors. Thirdly, students learn concepts better when introduced to them in different ways12. Repetition helps to reinforce concepts, while the variety supports the different learning styles seen in students. In one example12, students were introduced to a new concept in five different activities. Some activities involved quiet reflection, while others involved debates or lectures. In the authors’ experience, the concepts were more thoroughly learned, and the class was more enjoyable for the students. While fun and games in the classroom may seem like an oxymoron, an examination of educational research suggests that these activities may be one way to increase student learning and retention. Particularly for new educators, however, challenges abound when implementing these new techniques in the classroom. Students who are unwilling to participate or who are skeptical about the benefits of active learning can sabotage the positive effects of the activity13. Also, when using humor and fun in the classroom, care needs to be taken so that students aren’t insulted or offended14,15. The goal of this paper is to introduce fun activities used by the authors in their classrooms or found in the literature, describe the learning benefits from each and alert the new educator to some of the challenges encountered in implementing these activities in the classroom. As with any change in the classroom nothing is perfect the first time16. It is important to let your students know that active learning will be used and what you are expecting from them17. We have found that the students appreciate the change from the norm and are willing to offer suggestions to improve activites18. Classroom Activities Get their attention, wake them up! Some days, it is a challenge just to get students to participate and be engaged in the classroom. When we grab the students’ attention we can set the tone for a lively and fun class which will help to get everyone excited about the topic of the day18. Here are some ideas to use anytime during the class session or throughout the term to try and liven things up. Talk with your students ß Arrive a few minutes before your class starts and engage the students in conversation. Find a P ge 885.2 “Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright 2003, American Society for Engineering Education” topic that sparks interest, such as current political, national or local happenings, current university “scandals”, a television show from the previous evening, new movies or sporting events. Taking a few minutes before class to talk informally with the students shows that we are “human” and helps to put the students at ease18. This works well for small to medium class rooms, in a large lecture hall it is hard to get everyone involved in the discussion. Inject humor in lecture ß Make silly jokes in class when it is possible and appropriate. Whenever we can laugh with each other and at science, it makes coming to class more fun. Also laugh at yourself when you make a mistake18. Humor is a wonderful tool, just be careful not to offend your class and be prepared for the class not to think you are as funny as you think you are. Chocolate as the great motivator (or quiz or homework points) ß Occasionally bring pieces of candy into the classroom. Encourage students to ask or answer questions. If the student participates they are rewarded with a piece of candy or a few homework points. They do not have to be correct. This encourages the students to talk in class. A drawback is that it can be costly over a term, so use it wisely. You’ll be amazed what students will do for one homework point or piece of candy. Famous quotes ß At the start of the lecture put a quote up for the class, but leave the author blank. The first person to find the author is given a few homework or quiz points. “Do or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda to Luke Skywalker in the Empire Strikes Back “The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.” – General H. Norman Schwarzkopf Comic strips ß Another great way to start or end a lecture is to put up a comic strip for the class to view. Riddles § At the start or end of class present the students with a riddle. The first student with a correct solution can be awarded a few homework or quiz points. One drawback is that they might spend too much time on the riddle and not on the lecture for the day. However, it is better to have minds working than minds drifting. Figure 1. Comic Strip Example