Title

Scannell, Edward E., & Newstrom, John W. (1983).  More Games Trainers Play:  Experiential Learning Exercises.  New York: McGraw-Hill.

Below are some techniques from the book.

1) What’s Your Name:  divide into groups of 6-8 people.  Each group stands in a circle and tosses a ball (e.g., Koosh, Nerf, Wiffle) from one person to another.  Each person must say the first name of the person to whom they’re tossing the ball .

2) Giving Away Secrets: 

a)      write the numerical part of your address (e.g., 975)

b)      double it (e.g., 975 x 2 = 1950)

c)      add 5 (5 + 1950= 1955)

d)      multiply by 50 (1955 x 50 = 97,750)

e)      add your age (e.g., 38 + 97,750 = 97,788)

f)      add 365 (365 + 97,788 = 98,153)

g)      share the total with someone nearby.  They subtract 615 from the total.  The result is your address and age! (e.g., 98,153 – 615 = 97538)

3) Numerous sources cite Murphy’s Law and its corollaries.   Make a list and read it after something goes wrong in the classroom (e.g., transparency projector or video won’t work properly).

4) Jigsaw Puzzle:  obtain several children’s jigsaw puzzles (large size, few pieces).  Give each person a piece from a puzzle and have them form groups by finding others with pieces from their puzzle and assembling the puzzles.

5) Reflection Time:  to bring back an overlooked learning style, describe the use of silent reflection and then pause periodically to let students quietly reflect on what they’ve learned.

6) Disvoweled Terminology:  take important vocabulary terms and remove all vowels and punctuation from them (e.g., OBJECTIVES becomes BJCTVS).  At the end of a lesson, have them compete to complete all terms.

7) Even Instructors Err Sometimes:  before student presentations, give a brief presentation where you do everything wrong—e.g., be unorganized, speak in a monotone, read everything without eye contact, don’t bring enough handouts, etc.  Then have the class list all the mistakes.

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