Playing Games: The Importance of Activities in the Science Classroom

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2010, Volume 31

Sargent, K. & J. Corrette-Bennett

Abstract

By encouraging interaction and discussion, this board game endeavors to increase student comprehension and retention of biological facts and concepts. A unit was designed to create an engaging learning experience to pique student interest in the legal and ethical issues surrounding genetic technologies as well as assess the game's success as a teaching tool. A lesson plan focused on the genetic and cellular aspects of new genetic technologies was presented to two 10th grade biology classes and two 12th grade AP biology classes. All four classes were presented with the same lesson plan. One class of each grade served as a control, participating in a more traditional oral review the day following the lesson. The experimental class of each grade played the board game in place of the standard review session. A pre/post-test assessment method was employed to determine the effect of playing the board game on student comprehension and retention of material. Both the control and experimental classes showed significantly higher post test scores than their respective pre test scores. This result indicates learning occurred within both the control and experimental groups of each grade. However, the post-test scores of each experimental group increased by a significantly greater amount than that of each respective control group, implying that the students who played the board game experienced an educational benefit beyond the traditional lesson plan and review. Significantly higher test scores coupled with positive reviews from both college and high school student players show that this board game achieved its goal of both teaching and engaging interest. It can be easily modified for college courses as well as adapted to cover other biology topics.

Keywords:  genetics, activity, game, bioethics, bloom's

University of Delaware (2009)