Finding methods to make learning more engaging and interactive is an ongoing challenge for parents and teachers. Yamin Gamin and Missy Covington of LearningWare describe their strategies for using a game show format as a tool for teaching everything from corporate policies to history about the American Revolution. They point out that game shows work because people like to compete, almost everyone is familiar with the game show format, and game shows appeal to all learning styles. They report that “visual learners see the questions surrounding information; auditory learners learn to hear the question and discuss answers; and kinesthetic learners learn to ring in, cheer, and participate.”
Many of the same characteristics can be seen in the digital technologies that LearningWorks selects for teaching both content and thinking skills. The challenges and competition of games, formats which children have become very familiar with, and the multi-modal presentation of new material and feedback are key ingredients.
Gamin and Covington suggest using game shows in three basic ways: previewing information, reviewing information, and as an “energizing event.” Similarly, many digital games and learning programs are set up in a manner in which new information or problems are presented, the player needs to try out possible solutions and after a while is able to succeed, often later reviewing and using the same strategies in future sections of the game. The game-playing experience or “engamement” serves to energize the learning experience.
By the way, watching a television game show with your kids might also prove to be a wonderful learning opportunity. Playing a game such as Wheel of Fortune, where both you and your child can guess at which letters are missing, provide your rationale for choosing letters, and discuss your methods of guessing at possible answers, requires executive function skills such as planning and metacognition. Many of the game shows, such as Jeopardy or Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, provide an opportunity to learn content and further discuss topics, introduce new vocabulary, and demonstrate problem-solving techniques to your kids.
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