With the end of the unit in my CP Gov class, I went back to our roleplaying game Kingdom to try to implement some of the changes that we learned. First, we introduced the game a week before we played, which gave time to do initial research. How great the follow through was for this was debatable (I had an awful lot of students asking for extra research pages the day of the game!), but I did include the research as part of the post-writing assignment, so I hoped that that would increase accountability. Also, I defined the parameters of the game more distinctly; students chose one of the three branches of government to focus in on, and I gave a list of possible issues that were generally defined (like if you chose the Executive Branch, you could have a game about a foreign conflict or an impeachment trial or the action of an agency like the FBI or FDA). I wasn't able to give as much time for set up; it's a time consuming process, but students definitely seemed to feel more confident with the idea this time around.
Overall, I think that it went much better than last time. Students felt more prepared for the game, even if research wasn't as solid. Also, students were able to get into the game and play much faster and with more confidence. Revisiting the game was definitely a good idea to get more mileage out of learning the rules. It's a good routine to build and revisit multiple times. And I think it definitely helped with understanding of how that particular branch or section of government functions. Folks that were interested in learning more about the legal system were talking like lawyers and asking how certain concepts worked within the court system. But most importantly, students came away with a more positive experience of the game. After the last game, there was a feeling of general frustration and lack of interest in the game, but students were generally thumbs up on the experience and asking when to play again, which is great to hear! I like the idea of using it as an enrichment and independent study activity, and I'm going to try to use it again at least 1 more time this semester with a similar format. Overall, good progress!
One note: it would definitely benefit from a tutorial video; the board games that we played at the beginning of the class both had tutorial videos to learn how to play, and it seemed to get ideas across much easier than just a teacher explanation.
Overall, I think that it went much better than last time. Students felt more prepared for the game, even if research wasn't as solid. Also, students were able to get into the game and play much faster and with more confidence. Revisiting the game was definitely a good idea to get more mileage out of learning the rules. It's a good routine to build and revisit multiple times. And I think it definitely helped with understanding of how that particular branch or section of government functions. Folks that were interested in learning more about the legal system were talking like lawyers and asking how certain concepts worked within the court system. But most importantly, students came away with a more positive experience of the game. After the last game, there was a feeling of general frustration and lack of interest in the game, but students were generally thumbs up on the experience and asking when to play again, which is great to hear! I like the idea of using it as an enrichment and independent study activity, and I'm going to try to use it again at least 1 more time this semester with a similar format. Overall, good progress!
One note: it would definitely benefit from a tutorial video; the board games that we played at the beginning of the class both had tutorial videos to learn how to play, and it seemed to get ideas across much easier than just a teacher explanation.
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