Get Loud, Get Messy, Get Fun... Get Results!

Lecture will never lead to real learning. Real learning requires your audience to use their own thinking process to evaluate what is being presented.
 
How can you can put tools in their hands to help them see and feel as well as hear what you are saying? Can a simple card game supply that type of creative visual so they can better grasp the information you need them to learn?

Try this easy card pass relay race. Divide your audience into groups of no less than 5 and no more than 8 members per team. If you have people “left over” after dividing up the teams, ask them to help you as referees or timers. Count out 26 cards for each team. Give each team one stack of cards. Tell them this is a timed card passing competition.


The players at one end of each team must take one card at a time off the pile of cards and pass it to the team member sitting next to them. That team member then passes the card on to the third team member, and so on. When the final team member receives a card they must place it in a pile next to them. When the last person on the team discards the last card, they should yell, “Done!” The timer will yell a time back to them.

There are 5 basic rules:

1. You must stay in your seat.
2. Cards start in a stack and end in a stack.
3. You can only have one card in your possession at a time.
4. Every team member must touch every card.
5. If a team member drops a card the rest of the team must wait until the card has been picked up again before continuing.

Teams should go through a preliminary round with no planning. Announce everyone’s times to the whole group. Then give then a few minutes to plan their strategies for speeding up the card passing process to reduce their overall time. Let them know that the 5 basic rules still apply, but anything else they want to change they may.

After giving them a few minutes to plan, ask them to get ready to start again. The team this round with the fastest time is declared the winner and receives points or some other type of reward or recognition.

Debrief this activity by asking such questions as, "What was this activity really about?" Gently guide the discussion to your teaching topic with additional questions.

It’s loud, it’s messy, and it’s fun! The audience gets instant hands-on practice to concepts such as planning, communication, strategy, leadership, cooperation. Many times the strategy they use for the second round actually slows them down – which gives them the immediate opportunity to “fail” and adapt quickly.

Games are not just about fun – they provide competition, collaboration, strategy, and achievement. Gamification takes these mechanics of games and applies them to non-game settings – like leadership development and time management training. How can you put Gamification to work for you?

For more ideas on Gamification:  http://www.monicacornetti.com/services/