Training Games: Everything You Need to Know About Using Games to Reinforce Learning

Games constitute a wonderful tool for engaging learners and reinforcing learning.

This is a practical and entertaining introduction to using games and structured learning activities in training. It is the first book to combine gaming rationale, hands-on advice and sample games.

Susan El-Shamy begins with an overview of the benefits of using games, touches on the learning psychology foundations of game playing, describes the most common types of games, and provides guidelines for choosing games appropriate for given objectives.

She offers seasoned advice on how to set up and conduct games and on how to assess their effectiveness. She concludes with suggestions on how to adapt existing games and activities to new purposes and, beyond that, on how the reader can create and design his or her own games.

The book includes a resource list of commercially available games and related Web sites.

Susan El-Shamy admirably succeeds in demonstrating how games promote serious learning in adult training. If you are new to games, this book will allay your concerns about using them. If you are a veteran user of games, here are new ideas, including an introduction to e-games. All readers will appreciate the Ultimate Training Games Assessment form for evaluating games and as a guide to creating their own.

Games constitute a wonderful tool for engaging learners and reinforcing learning.This is a practical and entertaining introduction to using games and structured learning activities in training. It is the first book to combine gaming rationale, hands-on advice and sample games. Susan El-Shamy begins with an overview of the benefits of using games, touches on the learning psychology foundations of game playing, describes the most common types of games, and provides guidelines for choosing games appropriate for given objectives. She offers seasoned advice on how to set up and conduct games and on how to assess their effectiveness. She concludes with suggestions on how to adapt existing games and activities to new purposes and, beyond that, on how the reader can create and design his or her own games. The book includes a resource list of commercially available games and related Web sites. Susan El-Shamy admirably succeeds in demonstrating how games promote serious learning in adult training. If you are new to games, this book will allay your concerns about using them. If you are a veteran user of games, here are new ideas, including an introduction to e-games. All readers will appreciate the Ultimate Training Games Assessment form for evaluating games and as a guide to creating their own.

Booknews

The author is a professional trainer (of adults) and designer of games for group-learning. She tells why games are useful as educational devices and how to use them to best advantage. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Susan El-Shamy is Senior partner at Advancement Strategies, Inc., a training and development resources company in Bloomington, Indiana, and an award-winning designer of games and interactive group learning products. She has delivered training programs nationally and internationally for companies including Motorola, Mattel, Corning and Thomson Consumer Electronics. She is a regular guest lecturer at the Indiana University School of Business, and a frequent speaker at national training conferences.