The popular image of college teaching depresses me.  A professor standing in front of a classroom pontificating about some subject while students sit disinterested.  This isn’t what the best college teachers do.  I also don’t believe that good instruction needs to look and sound like a stand up routine at a comedy club (although there’s some things we can learn from stand up comics).  Most important, student learn better through the use of active learning.  At its core, active learning involves students in the learning process as they write, discuss, and engage in problem solving on course material.  College teaching with games provides one of the best ways to engage students and make them responsible for their own learning.

Games can be silly.  They can be fun.  And this is part of the reason why they work.

A few years ago, I volunteered at the Halloween party in my daughter’s kindergarten class.  I was assigned to the Pumpkin Bean Bag toss game.  A group of kindergartners would take turns tossing three bean bags through the eyes and mouth of the pumpkin.  Each student had to remember how many they tossed through successfully.  After everyone had a turn, we would then count how many the group had thrown through.  They never had any idea, but we were practicing math.

And I suspect they were more engaged in counting bean bags than a typical math lesson.

College students are no different.

We all say that we want students to learn course material as well as other important skills like the ability to communicate, analyze data, and synthesize information.

The beauty of games is that students learn these skills and material, but often don’t even realize the degree to which they are doing so.

I make frequent use of various games in class.  There are hundreds of games and even more variations that you could try in class.  Below are a couple of genres that I use to help you think of some ideas, but there are plenty of options you can try.

Board Games

One of the great aspects of board games is they can be used for a variety of purposes from reviewing content, as an ice breaker, or for encouraging discussion.  I use Monopoly as a fun ice breaker that also let’s me learn about what the class knows on the first day (an important goal of my first day of class).  I distribute a print out of a Monopoly board to groups of 3-5 students.  I also give them a list of university positions.  I ask them to organize the positions as they see fit.  Some may arrange them by salary or power corresponding to the escalating price of the game properties.  This provides great fodder for a discussion after the activity about power dynamics on campus for example.  They also learn terms important for class (What is a Provost?  What does the Vice President for Development do?).  I could just give the students a list of key terms, but I find this helps them problem solve and remember better.

Another board game that I love to use is Clue.  While I’m often disturbed with how many students today don’t seem to know how to play the game, I find this is a great break to the normal class routine and encourages students to use their knowledge of class material.  Unlike Monopoly, I have a more elaborate set up for Clue.  I’ve made a Clue:  Higher Education Edition which includes a modified board, game pieces, and cards.  Instead of determining who committed the murder, with what weapon, and in what room, students have to find out what type of higher education institution, using what curriculum, and in what state.  The prize for the winner is leading a discussion among the group about key questions from the reading.

Whether a simple adaption like Monopoly or a more elaborate use of a game such as Clue, board games can provide a great activity for class to facilitate active learning.

Scavenger Hunt

I’ve always loved scavenger hunts as a game that rewards quick thinking, creativity, and focus.  One of the best uses of this game is the library scavenger hunt.  I create a list of library and research tools that my students need to know.  Rather than having a librarian give the usual presentation which I’ve found students disengage from, the scavenger hunt forces them to figure things out.  For example, students have to identify a topic and then find resources relevant for the topic.  They have to find a book, a monograph, and a journal article.  They also have to figure out how to do an interlibrary loan request.  What students need to know may vary by discipline or type of class, but this is a fun and engaging way to make sure students have the resources they need for researching papers.

Another version of the scavenger hunt I enjoy is sending the students out across campus.  I’ve explored differences in campus culture by sending students to find examples in different buildings across campus (What differences exist between the English building and Engineering?).  I’ve also had students find faculty and administrators to ask a brief question before returning to class to discuss what they found.  The best part about this is that it gets students up and out of the classroom engaging with their surroundings.  I have the luxury of teaching about higher education on a campus so there’s plenty of options available.  However, I believe this could be used in courses from the humanities to the sciences.

Just Try It

If you’ve never tried to include a game before, I strongly encourage you to give it a try.  I think you’ll be impressed both by the level of engagement your students show and how much learning occurs during the process.  If you’ve never tried this, start small and simple.  You don’t need lots of fancy game boards or props for the students to use.  The goal is to encourage active learning and facilitate student success.  College teaching with games.  For the win!