Educational Games: 5 Ways to Structure Game Play

There are lots of different ways you can have students explore online educational games. Here are five general approaches we can recommend to structure game play:

Whole Class Game Play: Project the game on an interactive whiteboard. Model game strategies yourself, and then have learners come up to take turns participating.

Multiple Team Game Play: Divide students into two or more different teams. Allow each team a certain amount of time (or a certain number of turns) to gain points.

Small Group or Pairs Game Play: Have learners explore the game in small groups or pairs so they can collaborate and share strategies. In head-to-head play, pair learners with similar learning strengths to balance competition. In team play, combine learners with different learning strengths to complement one another and encourage peer coaching.

Individual Game Play: Challenge students to play the game on their own. Individual game play can serve as a fantastic assessment tool, especially in combination with the game quiz.

Combination: Mix and match these approaches according to your students’ needs. It can be helpful to play the game as a whole class first, then in pairs or small groups, and finally on an individual basis.