Non-traditional interventions to stimulate discussion: the use of games and puzzles

Abstract

There is substantial literature on the use of non-conventional approaches to promote learning, such as games and crosswords, but there has been little investigation into how useful students find them. This paper outlines the results of an investigation into whether first year biology students used card game discussions and crosswords provided to help them in their learning, and how useful these resources were perceived to be. The perceptions of teaching staff with respect to the resources were also evaluated.

Use of the resources varied, with 81% using the curriculum-embedded ‘card game discussions’ and 54% using the non-compulsory crosswords. Students who used these resources found them of benefit to their learning, whilst those who did not use them indicated a preference for other learning resources. Staff perceived that the card game discussions were designed for active learning, integration of content and revision, but that the main use of crosswords was for revision, terminology and fun.

The positive response of the majority of students about the usefulness of the learning opportunities encourages the development of further resources, but the fact that some students did not use the materials reminds academics that a variety of learning resources need to be available for students.

Keywords:

• Card game discussions
• Crossword puzzles
• Effectiveness
• Evaluation