On the left you'll find a copy of an activity I created and used during courses I taught at NCSU. See CoAT portfolio for more detail. However, I did not find success with this activity at Simon's Rock.
THE Game
Rules of the Game:
Each week you have a different team (size doesn't matter), chosen randomly.
You will work in these teams on in-class examples.
I will call on a single person to answer a question I ask.
For each correct answer, you get 1 point. So work together!!
The team with the most points by the end of the week will earn 3 extra credit points on the next exam.
The person with the most points by the end of the term will earn 5 extra credit points on the final exam.
You will have 5 chances to earn these extra points.
The purpose of this activity is two-fold.
It is meant to encourage class activity and discussion among students. This encouragement comes in the form of extra credit. Students typically enjoy the chance to gain some extra credit, even those reluctant to participate in the classroom.
The team work is meant to reduce the "deer-in-headlights" syndrome students frequently get when called upon and not prepared with an answer. Since the team works together on a solution, those who know the answer must help the others to understand.
There are 3 reasons there was failure of execution at Simon's Rock.
The biggest factor is that students would not get out of their self-assigned seats. When forced, it would take too long for students to find their teammates and sit down. The following days would see no increased cooperation. I found that the extra credit was not enough of an encouragement in all classes.
The classes are significantly larger than what I was used to at NCSU. On average, I have between 15 and 20 students. At NCSU, my average was less than 10. While I easily ask between 15 and 20 questions per lesson, they are not questions worthy of extra credit.
When asked about the game in a midterm survey, a student commented that we are in a college classroom and the game felt childish. I personally do not believe the game is childish. It has found success with college students significantly older than Simon's Rock students (one as old as 34!). I believe the population at Simon's Rock, however, is different. Students at Simon's Rock are typically more mature for their age than peers. Many have preconceived ideas of what it means to be an adult or to be in college. It could be that many students felt the same as this particular student. This would explain their lack of participation.
I still encourage class participation, and I will still call on students and ask a series of questions until I receive an answer. However, I cannot use this particular game to encourage more participation. In the future, I do plan to gamify my classroom, but I have not yet decided the best strategy for my current population of students.