The concept of using games to convey information has been widely used in the field of instructional design. Sales training is probably one of the oldest corporate processes with relies heavily on games for educating learners. Interestingly, most of the sales training games are simple, fun and non-digital (doesn't involve the usage of electronic devices) in nature. What if we could use the same concept in making instructional games a lot more fun and interesting ? What if we could use some party games in place of computer-based games in instructional design for a small group of learners ?
Charades:
The first and probably the most popular party game that can be easily explained, understood and played is Charades. Charades can be a really effective educational tool since it is a casual, exciting and entertaining game which can be played with all the age groups. Major advantages of this game is it requires minimal logistics/props, keeps the learners attentive and energetic, simple in nature and a lot of key information (such as product names in case of sales training) is conveyed with fun. However, one of the biggest disadvantages of this game in a instructional setting is communication of relatively lesser information (words as opposed to sentences, paragraphs, lessons etc.) with longer sessions (more time).
Pictionary:
The next most popular party game which could be used in instructional gaming experience would be Pictionary. Pictionary is very similar to Charades in terms of nature of the game, game rules and target audience. Hence, most of the advantages and disadvantages of using this game in an instructional atmosphere are very similar to those associated with Charades as explained in the section above. The only exceptions would be higher effort in designing props and communication of relatively more information as compared to Charades. A good approach for using Pictionary as an instructional tool would be to design custom pictionary cards having different colors represent information associated with different levels or hierarchy.
20 questions:
I personally feel that 20 questions is not only a fun party game but also a smart method to encourage deductive reasoning and creativity of the players. 20 questions can easily be targeted towards a small to medium-sized group of learners without reducing the effectiveness of the game. This game could be a lot more time consuming compared to Charades or Pictionary. However, the amount of information conveyed to learners in 20 questions is way larger in volume than most of the popular party games.
In conclusion, non-digital party games can certainly be incorporated in instructional/educational settings involving a small to medium-sized group of learners. The nature of these games improve the probability of a learner being able to recollect the information gained through the game and hence, the information stays relatively longer in the memory of the learner when compared with most of the conventional computer-based games. Therefore, non-digital party games not only add fun element during instruction/training but also increase the attentiveness, excitement and involvement of the learner, thereby increasing the overall efficiency and quality of instruction.
Charades:
The first and probably the most popular party game that can be easily explained, understood and played is Charades. Charades can be a really effective educational tool since it is a casual, exciting and entertaining game which can be played with all the age groups. Major advantages of this game is it requires minimal logistics/props, keeps the learners attentive and energetic, simple in nature and a lot of key information (such as product names in case of sales training) is conveyed with fun. However, one of the biggest disadvantages of this game in a instructional setting is communication of relatively lesser information (words as opposed to sentences, paragraphs, lessons etc.) with longer sessions (more time).
YouTube Video: How to play Charades ?
Pictionary:
The next most popular party game which could be used in instructional gaming experience would be Pictionary. Pictionary is very similar to Charades in terms of nature of the game, game rules and target audience. Hence, most of the advantages and disadvantages of using this game in an instructional atmosphere are very similar to those associated with Charades as explained in the section above. The only exceptions would be higher effort in designing props and communication of relatively more information as compared to Charades. A good approach for using Pictionary as an instructional tool would be to design custom pictionary cards having different colors represent information associated with different levels or hierarchy.
20 questions:
I personally feel that 20 questions is not only a fun party game but also a smart method to encourage deductive reasoning and creativity of the players. 20 questions can easily be targeted towards a small to medium-sized group of learners without reducing the effectiveness of the game. This game could be a lot more time consuming compared to Charades or Pictionary. However, the amount of information conveyed to learners in 20 questions is way larger in volume than most of the popular party games.
In conclusion, non-digital party games can certainly be incorporated in instructional/educational settings involving a small to medium-sized group of learners. The nature of these games improve the probability of a learner being able to recollect the information gained through the game and hence, the information stays relatively longer in the memory of the learner when compared with most of the conventional computer-based games. Therefore, non-digital party games not only add fun element during instruction/training but also increase the attentiveness, excitement and involvement of the learner, thereby increasing the overall efficiency and quality of instruction.
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