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Video games, simulations, and virtual environments are great tools to use to bring exciting and invigorating experiences into the classroom and work environment. Students and/or employees experience heightened intellectual curiosity as they engage in play and continue to advance through the games’ levels of difficulty, as a single player or as a part of a team. The players (students/employees) develop feelings of positive accomplishment and ability in what they are able to do on their own and/or working together as a team, the challenges they are able to solve, and the levels of advancement they are able to reach. They are motivated and stimulated to move on, conquering each challenging level, to reach mastery. It is at this level, the users becomes the producers, to use their creative skills to produce a challenging video game, simulation, or virtual environment of their own for other student/employees to play (Squire, 2011, p. 37).
A simulation game to use to teach
students/employees group collaboration skills is the Wii Family Feud 2012 game. The simulation game is set up just like the TV
version of family Feud. Students/employees
are divided into groups or family members that face-off against an opposing family. The families use collaboration skills to
outscore the opposing family. The families
must learn to rely on the skills of their family members, listen and support
the ideas of others in their family, and make decisions as a group so they are
able to win and advance through each challenging level of questions and
opposing families. To teach new
employees teamwork skill, the trainer can use Wii Family Feud 2012. The trainer would use the progressively
difficult questions the game provides, to teach new employees how to
collaborate as a group as required of them in their real-work situation. The trainer can also develop their own
progressively challenging questions and use the Wii Family Feud 2012 to teach
employees the details of a new degree program and hoe to present it to incoming
and/or existing students. Wii Family
Feud 2012 can be purchased
from Nintendo for a low as $39.99 or downloaded and played for online for free
from www.gamingwonderland.com/Video games, simulations, and virtual environments are great tools to use to bring exciting and invigorating experiences into the classroom and work environment. Students and/or employees experience heightened intellectual curiosity as they engage in play and continue to advance through the games’ levels of difficulty, as a single player or as a part of a team. The players (students/employees) develop feelings of positive accomplishment and ability in what they are able to do on their own and/or working together as a team, the challenges they are able to solve, and the levels of advancement they are able to reach. They are motivated and stimulated to move on, conquering each challenging level, to reach mastery. It is at this level, the users becomes the producers, to use their creative skills to produce a challenging video game, simulation, or virtual environment of their own for other student/employees to play (Squire, 2011, p. 37).
http://www.amazon.com/FamilyFeud-2012-nintendo-wii/dp/B005GWU020/ref=sr_1_2?
The next collaboration game is one
presented by Kurt Squire, Crystal Chronicles, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles:
My Life as a King (2011, p. 38). The cooperative
video game or Wii game is one where teams work together as warriors to create
tactical decisions and approaches to overcome the enemies of the King. They must combine their strengths, skills,
and magical powers to build the kingdom, defeat the powers and attacks of the
evil forces, and protect the crystal and the King from defeat. Each warrior has a special skill and ability
given to them by the Crystal: strength, toughness, dexterity, agility,
intellect, and/or willpower. The trainer
can use the video game or Wii game, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life
as a King in development training class on skills and behaviors. The trainer would divide the employees into
two groups. One group represents the
King’s warriors with the special skills and behavior abilities, as well as the
special skills and abilities given them by the Crystal. The other group represents the evil enemy with
the poor/outdates skills and abilities and evil skills and abilities they use
to overtake the King’s warriors.
Managers can use the video game or Wii game in team meetings to work on
and strengthen problem solving skills and abilities.
In the learning environment, video games,
simulations, and virtual environments are excellent tools to use to teach adult
learners/employees problem solving strategies.
Students/employees learn and reinforce intellectual creativity,
collaboration skills, cooperative communications, decision-making abilities,
and the desire to continue to learn, grow, and challenge themselves. They learn to coordinate together as a team
to plan the next level of achievement, to celebrate their accomplishments, and
move from users to creators of new and more challenging skills and problems to
solve (Squire, 2011, p. 37).
Reference
Squire, K. (2011). Video games and learning: Teaching and participatory culture in the digital age. (pp. 37, 38). New York, NY: Teachers College Press
Hi Gayle,
ReplyDeleteIt was refreshing to read your blog post, because you have introduced two totally different games from the rest of us. As a language instructor, I am especially interested in the Family Feud 2012 game that you describe. It is nice that it is free to download and play. I could use it in my classes to improve my learners’ English skills and to encourage cooperation and collaboration among my learners. It looks like a fun way of working on speaking and listening skills. It could also increase my learners’ confidence since they will be taking the responsibility of others while playing this game.
Thank you for this wonderful idea,
Izlem.
Hi Gayle,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post as I had no idea about the games that you have explained. I can relate both of these games to my current situation as a language instructor. Both of these games can help my learners to improve their English. They will need to communicate with each other in order to be able to play both of these games. They also need to find ways to work together well to perform well in these games.
Thank you for your suggestions,
Seher
Hello Gayle,
ReplyDeleteWii Family Feud would be a great one to teach college students the skills they need in real work environment, so it should be appealing for any subject in college. It could be played at the beginning of the course and in the end to compare the skills acquired.
Thank you for introducing two very beneficial ones.
Su
Gayle- Excellent discussion and games provided in your blog this week. I think I would enjoy using the Wii Final Fantasy game for my work and employee training. Sometimes reminding and refresher training on accountability, team work and management protocols are necessary. I once told my employees that they needed to watch the entire film band of Brothers in order to understand personal responsibility, and chain of command. I told them to not be fooled by the fact I wasn't wearing a uniform, I was still their Colonel :) If there were a video game, I would definitely use that in employee training. Teri
ReplyDeleteGayle,
ReplyDeleteI love the way you used the family feud game as a part of a training experience - what an excellent idea. It would also be a great way to show how classification works in writing. I never considered that before I read your posting. Just like the games, it takes a bit of imagination. Thanks!
Octavia.
Gayle,
ReplyDeleteAs always I enjoyed your post. I have to agree with the rest of our peers because I would have not thought of these two learning aides. I enjoyed the way you suggested using them. They both could truly be an assest in setting with the way you explained it. I could see myself using a type of the family feud game in classroom, but I would change the questions and responses to meet my training needs. Again I liked the idea of both, and enjoyed the way you presented it. I could see this as a great team building setting for my classroom.
Respectfully,
Shawn