Didactic games english

Studies confirm the attractive and activating function of games. This is so as games teach seeking, creating, consolidating and using necessary information. They allow to go beyond information found in books, bear new ideas, develop social competences and build the foundations for teamwork.

Teresa Siek — Piskozub invokes the results of numerous empirical studies which prove increased effectiveness of education with simulation Siek-Piskozub, On the basis of the results of studies by Kapp and Sheldon, it may be assumed that games are an opportunity for teachers to improve the effectiveness of the teaching process.

They allow for increasing involvement of students. They are efficient in overcoming significant deficits of traditional teaching methods Kapp, ; Sheldon, The development of computer technologies more and more frequently allows for a wider use of teaching electronic games.

In January , by the initiative of researchers, academic lecturers, PhD students and students, the Games Research Association of Poland was established. Its main aim is to study widely understood games in many aspects and use them in education as well as promote and develop knowledge on games both in theoretical and practical terms, i.

The Association promotes the idea of games as a form of creative use of time Surdyk, The location-based game is a play performed in the urban area, where the participants solve tasks set in the scenario according to their own variants. The factors decisive in winning are time and number of quality of solved tasks. The game combines components of on-street happenings, stalking and computer games. It is classified as a didactic simulation game requiring mental effort, movement-based and sport games requiring physical effort and territorial games requiring special preparation Warcholik, Leja, Location-based games date back to the s and are connected with the United States.

In Europe, the first game was organised in s. In Poland, their history is much shorter. The first games were organised here at the turn of the 20th and the 21st century Warcholik, Leja, Browsing through the literature, it is well worth paying attention to an attempt to systematise location-based games. On the other hand, commercial games are mostly organised by touristic companies and advertising companies or travel agencies with view of profit.

They are frequently part of city touring during integration or motivation trips Nowakowska, Last but not least, the educational game combines practical skills of participants with theoretical knowledge. It serves to obtain new information and it stimulates intellectual activity Warcholik, Leja, The game can have any subject matter. The goal of participants, moving around a city, is to perform tasks and reach the set points, that is places where the so-called agents can wait for them.

The give the participants a task to complete. The winner is the participant who completes all tasks the fastest or who has got the best score Nowakowska, ; www. The first edition was held in October , the next one two years later, in October The content partner is responsible for recruitment of participants and contact with schools and for content-related support.

The aim of the location-based game, in which CDZdM is involved, is to provide the participants with skills useful in establishment and running of their own business, with particular attention drawn to modern business and creativity in seeking the idea for the business activity. Students obtain knowledge on business plan formation rules and establishment of their own business, starting from dreams, through a plan and business concept, and ending on actual implementation.

The game is preceded by a preliminary stage, where the coordination team is created. Its task is to create the terms and conditions, application form, list of Internet tasks, description of stations and instructions for their agents and to create the map of the game.

A graphic artist prepares promotional materials logo, letter sheet, etc. The promotion is performed by means of the traditional and local media and subject-related websites as well as social media. Information is also sent directly to schools. Three-person teams of students of upper secondary schools in Poznan can participate.

Recruitment is performed by filling in the application form at the website. At this stage there are no limits as to the number of teams. The game starts at an Internet stage. Its aim is to provide the game participants with knowledge in the area of entrepreneurship, creation of attitude of in-depth analysis of information about business, investing in oneself and manner of thinking about earning their first money.

The Internet stage is performed via specially designed website and it lasts two weeks. Each task has to be solved within two days. During that time, the participants receive tasks to complete, for which they are granted points by entrepreneurship experts appointed in the game. The task of the experts is also to sent back remarks, reservations and ideas The experts are usually business consultants, employees of Project Coordination and City Revitalisation Bureau, professional economists and bank representatives.

A condition for further participation in the game is the completion of tasks within the time limit specified by the organiser. The prepared tasks pertain to the following:. In , 41 teams participated in the Internet stage, 10 out of which went through to the on-site stage.

Its aim is to familiarise the participants with various types and forms of business activity, teach them how to cooperate and teach them consequences of their choices and how to take risk. At the start, the players receive a starting pack consisting of a T-shirt with the game logo, beverage, snack, compass, map, notebook and pen.

Additionally, students and volunteers are covered with accident insurance. The on-site stage lasts ca. The game ends once all teams perform the tasks.

At each station, the participants receive 0 — 5 points, depending on the quality of performance of a given task. The general score from the Internet and on-site stages are taken into consideration to determine who wins. Board games were the prize in In , 18 people and 10 volunteers participated in the location-based game and in — people at the Internet stage and 30 participants and 15 volunteers at the on-site stage.

Another example of the simulation-based didactic game is the strategic game. It is frequently referred to as the business simulation game in the literature. It is a form of conducting business activity under virtual, not real, conditions. The history of development of simulation games is several thousand years old and pertains to the military.

Simulation games used nowadays for education purposes in the area of economy and administration stem from war games. In this day and age, business simulation games appeared in mids. In a short time, consulting companies and universities became interested in the games. Business games are a simulation of operation of a business or its part.

The participants play roles of members of the management of the company. They have to make managing decisions reflecting the operation of the company. Actions are taken with incomplete information on the game and the market. Via the trial-and-error method, the participants can analyse the effects of their decisions. This type of games more and more often employs computer programmes serving to make decisions in the so-called virtual reality. In years — , by the initiative of the employees of the Centre of Professional Counselling for the Youth and the employees of the Business Faculty at UMP, four editions of a strategic game took place, which were a supplement to class in business basics.

The event is promoted via the website of the Centre, social media and on the basis of the contact database of schools and educators. The organisation of the game requires the preparation of at least one computer station per group and Internet access. The participants of the game — on one hand — use their knowledge and skills in the area of entrepreneurship on the basis of their qualifications — they analyse possible options, make decisions and examine the effects of their steps.

During the game, students are divided into teams, where they make decisions connected with the establishment and operation of a virtual enterprise they e. The game consists of 10 decision rounds. The winner is the virtual enterprise that develops and releases an assortment of services most adapted to the needs of target groups.

Players compete for demand on their services. The game takes nine hours in total and is usually spread over three days. Each game features five competing teams. The starting market position of each player is the same. The have the same starting capital and identical possibilities to enter the market. They receive PLN one million at the start. Starting with round two, the standing of businesses changes.

The winner is the team that has the biggest capital after ten rounds. Each round finishes with feedback showing the effectiveness of the employed strategy. Awards for the participants are closely connected with the theme of the established enterprise. In the first three editions, each team became a chocolate manufacturer and started to expand onto the European market.

In the last edition, the participants established virtual fitness clubs. Usually, the games are organised as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Week, becoming an effective tool in entrepreneurship teaching.

The competences acquired during didactic games, particularly in strategic and location-based games, facilitate the development of entrepreneurial attitudes. The most important benefits from the use of games in the teaching process can be seen from the point of view of three groups of stakeholders: young, entrepreneurial employees, professional consultants and teachers.

Teachers or professional consultants creating and implementing scenarios of didactic games, particularly location-based and strategic games, should mind several basic activities. They will be decisive in the correct course and effects of games. First of all, the recipient is to be specified. Then, proper level of difficulty is to be selected.

It is also important to set the rules binding to all participants. It may be useful to hold an organisational meeting where the rules and conditions of participation in the game will be presented. A well conducted play will allow to use the benefits derived from didactic games, that is the development of entrepreneurial and social competences.

From the moment of employment of didactic games in the teaching process, their popularity keeps increasing. They are becoming ever more various, the game market is expanding, and so they become the object of interest on the part of many authors.

The issues of games and plays for children and the youth were in Poland touched on by — inter alia — W. Kapica , T. Siek- Piskozub , Cz. Kupisiewicz , M. Bondarowicz, T. Staniszewski , K.

Kruszewski , A. Surdyk — As regards foreign literature, it is worth reading the works of the following authors: R. Barton , G. Gordon , J.

Objectives: Determine the importance of didactic games to teach English as a Foreign Language. Designing didactic games adapted to the English language skills. Applying didactic games according to the skills in class sessions. Develop the linguistic competences through the presentation of dynamic activities in front of the IPM community. Share this: Twitter Facebook. Like this: Like Loading Published on April 4, at am Leave a Comment.

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