Creative Studying Techniques Increase Grades and Interest: 4 - Playing Games to Enhance Learning

I) Play games to enhance learning.

A) Create games that assist memorization or comprehension.

1) Play concentration with special flash cards.
Make a set of flash cards that have word and definition or further information on separate cards. Then mix up all of the pairs of cards, turn them upside down in a neat pattern on a table or floor. Take turns turning over the cards 2 at a time trying to find 2 cards that go together. When you find a pair, you keep them. Try discussing with a partner why something is or isn't a match as you turn over cards.

2) Substitute new questions or cards in old games like Sorry or Monopoly.
a) Make a set of cards that uses questions from a handout or your textbook in a game where you turn over a card every turn.

b) Make a set of cards that simply has numbers on it that can correspond to questions on a handout or in the book. It is okay to repeat the numbers so the same question can be answered multiple times to assist retention. This set of cards could be used over and over with different chapters and games.

c) Substitute the number cards (see above) for rolling a dice. Answer the questions and you get to go forward a certain number of spaces.

d) Re-name the properties on Monopoly making sure to group similar things into a monopoly. You could also consider the relative value or cost of the things in the groups as to which Monopoly to name. In other words, choose a low value category for Mediterranean and Baltic (the cheapest properties) and a high value category for Boardwalk and Park Place (the most expensive properties).

3) Search the internet for relevant games and activities.
There are many games available to assist learning a topic. If you find games aimed at younger students than yourself, give them a try anyway. You'll soon see if it has any value.

4) Play Categories.
This is a game I made up when I was a teacher. The game works with 2 people, but is better with 3 or 4 people to play.

a) The first person writes down 2 things that are related to each other. 1 of the items should be from within the field / class / vocabulary list you are studying. State the category the 2 create, i.e. what they have in common.

b) The next player must either add another item to that list that fits the same category, or think of a new category that encompasses all or all but one of the items from the previous list. That player will then state the new category.

c) Repeat step b.

d) Make sure that some of the time (you can set rules around this if you like) you are including words from within the field / class / vocabulary list you are studying. You don't really want all of the words to be relevant to your class because making connections between disparate items will help you learn with interest, remember the connections, and be more interested.

e) If you want to keep score, you can assign one point for successfully adding to an existing category and two points for starting a new category.

5) Play a brainstorming game.
With a study partner or alone, consider a topic and as fast as you can, write down all of the things that come to mind when you think of the topic. Set a timer for 1 minute and see how large a list you create. It doesn't matter if what you think of is scholarly or relevant. Just write it down. Then discuss the connections. This may sound simple or even silly, but again, making connections between ideas or objects within a field of learning, between fields of learning or even between totally unrelated ideas or objects makes you consider your field of study differently, more creatively and more powerfully.

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