Describe where simulations or games might be appropriate to use to enhance learning in your lesson.

I always appreciate the use of games in the classroom. In fact, among students who have had me as a teacher, it is fair to say that I am well known for gaming in the classroom. Regarding my own curriculum, I created many games that serve as review games. What I’ll do is create a PowerPoint or ActivInspire activity that mimics a class game show such as Jeopardy! or Wheel of Fortune. I’ll them “plug in” our course content and backmap in such a way that would have students apply knowledge from class into the parameters and rules of the gameshow.

I will tell you, though, and I have really thought this through. For all of the dozen or so games I have created for my classes, I had a really difficult time in brainstorming one for this e-learning storyboard.

First of all, I don’t want my storyboard to have the addition of a needless gimmick. I put together a storyboard that I feel is geared toward a higher-level audience. To water it down, I think would be in contrast to the good work that I have done. I do not want it to appear that my so-called tech-savvy project is reduced to an elementary level.

However, in thinking about this, I think that of all the aspects of gaming that could apply is the possibility of including a Memory-type game. Memory, if you recall, is a game in which players must match like terms, graphics, or concepts. I would include a similarly-styled activity in which participants would do the same. Learners would point and click at multiple covered images revealing terms and definitions. They would click and uncover or sort these until they cleared the board. This really utilizes the most basic of flash animation and when distributed online could be an easy bridge to gaming.

Again, I wholly enjoy this aspect of learning, but am hesitant to do as much for this type of project considering my audience’s experience and skill level.