Social Game Theory as a Teaching Method
by Kelly, Moss and Dale
Incorporating games into teaching can be a double edged sword. On the one hand, students respond well to such activities, but on the other, games can very easily become trivial reductions which lack substantive learning. This exercise will illustrate how the use of a social game can be used to heighten a lesson.
In this lesson about McCarthyism, the 'Mafia Game' played out by the students recreates the environment of paranoia, suspicion and baseless accusations that real people lived through in the 1950's. The side diagram illustrates how the method (playing the game) contributes to the content and objectives of the lesson.
Games can be meaningful use of class time with a little planning. In fact as long as it suits the lesson and C.O.M.A (Content, Method, Objectives, Assessment) works well, games can be fantastic learning devices!
Ps. I see the diagram is quite small on the actual blog. If anyone would like to see the full-sized original, please email me at dplotzki@uvic.ca
If you click on it, it comes up larger.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI thought the use of your game in class for the purpose you were trying to get across was spot on. Well done. It has got me thinking about ways I can incorporate it into the nature of science for use in my classes on day.
Cheers, Tara