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THINKING INSIDE THE BOX DR NICOLA DAVIES EXPLORES THE EDUCATIONAL POTENTIAL OF TAKING ‘GAMES-BASED LEARNING’ BACK TO BASICS...

s educators consider how best to games into the curriculum are many; and first the complex causes of obesity in our society, to teach in a high-tech world, there and foremost, they are fun! Students can be consider how problems associated with is the risk of overlooking one of introduced to board games in such a way that obesity might be tackled and to make the most effective low-cost, they play (and learn) because they want to suggestions to key stakeholders as to their A low-tech teaching strategies: – not because they have to. roles in developing solutions. The learning is board games. Yes, Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly, situated within the citizenship curriculum.” Risk, Boggle, and other such games not only Subj ect specific offer the potential for learning; they actually Of course, in the educational setting, there also Skills building have multiple advantages over technology and needs to be some link to the curriculum. Board A number of educators have studied the use of lecturing. They engage students with each games can be especially effective for honing board games in schools. Dr. Elizabeth Treher, other rather than with a device. They can maths skills, for example. Charlotte Davies, researcher and co-founder of The Learning expand vocabulary and improve maths skills education consultant for Fit 2 Learn, Key, a company built with the purpose of and, perhaps most importantly, they often recommends Chinese Chequers, Chess, ‘Transforming Learning into Action’ describes require cooperation, risk-taking and Triominos, Pentago, and even the Rubik’s the approach as an important and effective way collaboration – skills that students need in Cube, for maths. In terms of cognitive skills to learn through engagement. Simply many facets of their lives. development, she says, “The list is endless – addressing a group of students and presenting In recent years, digital and virtual games Boggle, Memory, Tricky Fingers, Q Bitz, material, no matter how well, may fail if young have become an important part of the teaching Origami.” She recommends Settlers of Catan people aren’t interested in the subject, have landscape. Beyond simply improving students’ for teaching students basic economic their mind on other things, or are easily hand-eye coordination, they can prepare them principles. Players must obtain resources – distracted. The challenge for educators is to for a complicated world and a job market that coal, lumber, brick, sheep, or wheat – to engage them so that they are fully present. will continue to require increasing interactions develop villages, roads, networks, and cities in a Far beyond the learning of academic with technology. However, the inclusion of new settlement. principles, board games play a much more ‘virtual worlds’ as part of the learning David Barlex, former senior lecturer in important – and often undervalued – role in environment also has a unique set of education at Brunel University, values board the development of social skills. The person to disadvantages. First, students with greater games so much that he has created some that person interaction in board games cannot be access to video games have a distinct advantage can be applied in a number of curriculum replaced by digital games or individual over those who don’t, and this often comes subjects such as citizenship, geography, ICT, learning. Some games require interpreting the down to whether the school or the students’ science, and design and technology. His Change facial expression of opponents, collaborating families can afford the new technology. Even of Place game is an adaptation of Snakes and on a strategy with teammates, or analysing why for students who do have these advantages, Ladders. Barlex explains, “This game is a particular action did or didn’t lead to success. overuse of technology can mean that they fail to concerned with designing cities of the future. Yes, games are about winning – but there’s learn how to interact with other people in a It’s not an exercise in fantasy, but is linked far more to them. Through game play, students positive way because they are too engaged in strongly to the findings of the Foresight Report can learn valuable lessons while also coming to their virtual world. Similarly, students who on Intelligent Infrastructure Systems. The aim understand one of the most important lessons don’t succeed in a virtual world can become of the game is to help students think about past, of all: winning isn’t everything. In fact, the end discouraged or apathetic. present and future presumptions.” result is actually far less important than the In contrast to the disadvantages of gaming Barlex also designed Take Shape. He says, enjoyable – and educational – journey that has technology, the reasons for incorporating board “Take Shape enables students to learn about taken place.

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DICE amesased learnin

MONE MARATON Developed by 12 BOARD GAMES MyBnk, this game uses dice and interactive activities and quies to FOR LEARNING teach nancial and economic principles.

ACIRE In this stock market game, MONOPOL this game supports both accumulating the right stocks and maths and economics by combining the most money requires skill and elements of chance and skill as players planning, helping with economic and move around the board making choices nancial education. about purchasing, trading, and improving property and income. BANANARAMS This game supports the English curriculum. Players use letter ROMANS A novel approach to tiles to build words in a grid in front of learning the history of the Romans, them, continuing to pick up tiles and where players are taken through the add them to their crossword until all tiles Roman Empire, conquering garrison are gone. forts and attempting to gain the title of Caesar. BOLE Players are required to nd words in the allotted time using the SCATTERORIES Choices of items letters in front of the group. Whoever that fall into a specic category are nds the most words is declared the subect to the agreement of other winner of this game, which involves both players as to whether they are verbal skills and speed. reat for appropriate or not. Nothing is absolute supporting English. except the diplomatic communication skills, and critical reasoning, developed. CESS Chess requires concentration, strategy and patience. It has also been SETTLERS OF CATAN Players move shown to improve maths ability. into a developing world where having the right combination of products to CONTRACEPTION This controversial develop villages, roads, networks, game can be used for sex education and and cities is crucial. Players can deal involves testing students on their directly with each other to improve knowledge of sexual intercourse, their position. This supports the ABOUT THE AUTHOR sexually transmitted diseases, and citienship curriculum by teaching Nicola Davies is a psychologist and freelance pregnancy, even providing the economic principles and differen writer with a passion for education. Twitter: opportunity to forcefully decline sex. government strategies. @healthpsychuk); blog: http://healthpsych ologyconsultancy.wordpress.com/ TABOO Teams try to guess words by describing them without using the taboo words listed on the cards. Can be used to enhance English language.

TRIVIAL PRSIT One team reads out trivia questions from cards, while the other team tries to guess the answer. This covers a wide range of subects in the curriculum, including geography, history, science, and art.

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