Games in the classroom – here are 3 you can play with nClass

Nov 10

Games in the classroom – here are 3 you can play with nClass

Posted In: Active learning, Class Participation, Smartphones in Classroom, Student Engagement

Whether you’re introducing a new subject or it’s time to review before an exam, students love learning when it’s fun and competitive. These games are more fun when students can respond instantly on their own devices—nClass can do just that. Here are a few ways to make class more fun with nClass:

1. Analysis-Off

This is a great way for humanities students to prepare for finals as students will both get a chance to practice their high-speed analytical skills and a chance to get feedback on their analysis. Here’s how it works:

Pick two students per round.
Reveal something for analysis. For literature classes, this could be a passage from a book or a poem. For art classes, this could be a painting, sculpture or film clip.
Give each competitor 4 minutes to post a short analysis to nClass.
Give the rest of the class 1 minute to up-vote whichever analysis they find the most adept.
Allow 2-3 minutes for the teacher’s commentary and class discussion.

2. Quick-Draw

This game works well for any subject and involves all students at once. Students can also play this game both as a whole class or in small groups.

Post a question using nClass
Have students raise their hands to answer the questions. The nClass queue will tell you who “buzzed” in first to answer the question.
Assign points for correct answers
If the person who first raised their hand does not have the correct answer, go to the next student on the queue.
In the interest of class time, consider giving fewer points to students who buzzed later, minimizing points after 4 incorrect guesses.

3. End of Semester prizes

In order to increase class participation, consider giving extra credit prizes for those who participate the most at the end of the semester–pick three categories:

Best speaker–give this prize to the students who “rose their hand” the most as recorded by nClass
Best commentator–give this prize to the students who submitted the most text comments during the semester.
Best responder–give this to the students who responded to text comments the most by both up/downvoting and text responses.

Depending on the size of the class, consider giving first, second and third place prizes.
Do you have any ideas for nClass games? Let us know in a comment.