The bingo review game as used in classrooms
is a fine example of gamification in the educational setting. Gamification converts the learning process
into one of play and competition, stimulating the appetite for both in the
students and injecting new interest into the learning activity. This often results in greater and more willing
participation from students, who are not only challenged by the game but also
entertained by it.
The Bingo Review Game: Its Use and Appeal
The bingo review game is a simple one. Students are handed out bingo cards where,
instead of numbers, one may find words, numbers, and other elements that are
central to a lesson being delivered. If
the lesson is one on vocabulary, for example, there will be vocabulary words on
the bingo cards’ grids.
As in traditional bingo, there is a caller
(the teacher) whose call-outs tell students which spaces to mark on their grids
in the race to get a straight line of marks (or bingo). In the bingo review game, though, the caller
usually does not call out the element itself but a hint or question that leads
to it: the definition of a word, for instance, would be called out in our
example.
That helps teachers test their students—it
basically functions like an oral exam of sorts.
Since all students have to figure out, and then mark the appropriate
answer to the question too, maximum classroom participation is ensured even if
there is only one teacher and one question being called out at a time. At the same time, it keeps students awake, as
the exercise in learning is contained in terms they can more easily accept: fun
and entertainment are central to educational gamification, where teachers may
also introduce the enticement of rewards for the winners. The fact that teachers can populate the grids
on their bingo cards with just about anything gives the bingo review game the added appeal of flexibility.
Other Games in the Classroom
The bingo review game is far from being the
only example of popular games repurposed for educational usage. Another is Jeopardy, and still another is the
modified board game.
It has become clear to a lot of educators
that game models like these can aid them in their work. Most students, when invited to comment, also
voice approval of their usage. This does
not mean they can be forced to fit every lesson or setting, however.
Using the bingo model as an example, one
considers its awkwardness when used to review students’ understanding of
complex concepts. It would not be ideal
either in lessons where the answers require significant time and effort to
figure out—the immediacy of bingo is a great part of the game, after all. By the same token, one cannot possibly use it
(or not with great merit) in dissecting a philosophical theory.
But there are still a great many other
lessons where games of this type may be helpful. Educators at all levels—from those teaching
kindergartners to those in universities—may very well benefit from
incorporating gamification in their toolkit.
A well-rounded instructor does not just rely on simply throwing
information or facts and figures to students.
Interaction and entertainment are still important parts of learning, as
many who have tried the bingo review game may well attest.
