Patent Application
20190308091
The present specification relates generally to games, and specifically to educational games.
Propagating learning, including propagating knowledge and skill, has been acknowledged by some as of value. In some situations, the propagation of learning is met with resistance, such as by those who do not wish to receive the learning or who are not willing to take the time or expend the effort to receive the learning.
At times, resistance to the propagation of learning is lessened when the propagation includes other elements, such as when the propagation of learning includes an element of fun, entertainment, competition, or teamwork.
Games, including board games, activity games, situational games, and thought experiment games, have been used to simulate a variety of aspects of real and imaginary experiences and situations, and have been used for both entertainment and education. For example, the board game disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,026,082 may induce players to attempt to build real estate monopolies and divest opponents of real estate holdings and other game assets.
Some board games may generate wide appeal and prolonged interest. Incorporating a game, such as a board game, in the propagation of learning may increase user or player engagement, learning retention, or interest.
In an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an educational tool, comprising: a set of question cards relating to at least one strand of at least one subject area, each card of the set of question cards containing at least one question; and a game board defining a victory condition and a set of gameplay conditions, the set of gameplay conditions including at least one question trigger, each question trigger of the at least one question trigger instructing a user of the educational tool to select a card of the set of question cards and answer the at least one question contained.
In some embodiments of the present invention there is provided a method of teaching a subject, composing: gathering a group of players, the group of players including at least two teams; assigning to each team of the at least two teams the creation of a sub-game relating to the subject; setting a set of sub-game creation criteria for the creation of sub-games; and receiving a sub-game from each team of the at least two teams.
The principles of the invention may better be understood with reference to the accompanying figures provided by way of illustration of an exemplary embodiment, or embodiments, incorporating principles and aspects of the present invention, and in which:
The description that follows, and the embodiments described therein, are provided by way of illustration of an example, or examples, of particular embodiments of the principles of the present invention. These examples are provided for the purposes of explanation, and not of limitation, of those principles and of the invention. In the description, like parts are marked throughout the specification and the drawings with the same respective reference numerals. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and in some instances proportions may have been exaggerated in order to more clearly depict certain features of the invention.
This description relates to educational games, and may be used in the propagation of learning. An example embodiment disclosed in detail below is a board game embodiment relating to the propagation of math-related learning, detailed with respect to a number of math-related components, however it is to be understood that in other embodiments the present invention may be provided for the propagation of learning relating to other subjects, such as learning relating to science, language, geography, history, sociology, etc., or a subset or combination of these fields or may be provided for other types of educational games.
This description relates to teaching aids, such as strategy sheets to be used in employing an educational board game in a teaching capacity. Teaching aids may be provided to assist a subset of a group of game players, such as a teacher playing with students, to guide or otherwise direct gameplay. Teaching aids may also be provided to assist one or more non-player participants, such as a teacher watching students play a game, to guide or otherwise direct gameplay. Teaching aids may be provided to assist a directing party to facilitate the educational aspects, entertainment aspects, or other aspects of gameplay according to the educational game disclosed herein.
An educational game 1000 is depicted in schematic form in
Educational game 1000 may be played by participants aged 6 years and older. In some embodiments, educational game 1000 may be played by participants aged 6-8+ years old, 9-11+ years, or 12 years and older. To facilitate age-appropriate learning, game board 1100, set of cards 1200, and/or set of playing tokens 1300 may be provided in accordance with the embodiments described below. For example, set of cards 1200 may contain question cards with varying degrees of difficulty, depending on the age range of participants. Catering play conditions ensures that participant engagement is maximized, as a game that is too difficult or too easy may not keep the attention of participants or may not teach information that is appropriate or necessary for the participant to learn.
TABLE 1 sets out a set of example questions, relating to data management and probability, of an embodiment of an educational board game for participants ages 6-8+ years old.
= means 5 books read
Board 1100, depicted further in
In some embodiments, different boards may be provided for each strand of each subject, such as board 1100 for NUMBER SENSE & NUMERATION, with question triggers marked according to the strand of the board. A board may also be provided for multiple strands, or a board for multiple subjects, and may be designed for such use, such as having different question triggering tiles marked to specify which subject or strand the question should relate to, or having different triggers result in questions of different difficulty levels.
In other embodiments, strand boards may not be specifically marked according to strand, but may be designed to be used with any strand. For example, board 1100 could be modified to replace ‘NUMBER SENSE & NUMERATION’ with ‘STRAND’ to indicate that the board is designed for use with a strand rather than the subject as a whole. In other embodiments, other arrangements of cards and question triggers could be used to cause players to receive questions they must answer. More generalized boards or components could help in reducing production costs, while more specific boards or components may increase player engagement and learning retention.
The goal of educational game 1000 may be to traverse the cyclical track of board 1100 a set number of times. The game may be turn based, with each turn allowing a player to move forward by a number of tiles as indicated on a rolled die. In some embodiments, each passing of the START tile may result in a reward, such as a monetary representation. The reward may also increase each time, such as from 10 on the first lap, to 100 on the second lap, to 1000 on the third lap, to 10,000 on the fourth lap to 100,000 on the fifth lap to 1,000,000 on the sixth lap. The reward may be used to track lap progress and to encourage player participation.
The plurality of sequential tiles or spaces of board 1100 includes four MATH UP tiles, one each of a bronze tile, a silver tile, a gold tile, and a diamond tile. MATH UP tiles provide boost functions, which may assist in promoting player engagement with the math related material. In other embodiments relating to other subject areas, different boost functions may be offered, such as the collection of a number of art pieces in art-related games.
Board 1100 also includes a PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE tile, landing on which stalls a player for two turns, and a DETENTION tile, landing on which stalls a player for one turn. PRINCIPLAL'S OFFICE and DETENTION tiles may encourage player engagement, as many potential players have spent time in a school in which visits to a principal's office or detention may have been associated with negative consequences. Particularly where players are current elementary or high school students playing game 1000, these and similar tiles may promote player engagement.
Board 1100 also includes a GYM tile, landing on which results in a player performing a physical activity, such as a defined physical activity or a physical activity of the players choice. A GYM tile may promote physical activity, particularly in embodiments in which an educational game board is a life size game board, as discussed below. A GYM tile may also enable the educational game to keep players engaged, by giving them a chance to work off excess energy build up.
Board 1100 also includes QUESTION spots, titled NUMBER SENSE & NUMERATION in this embodiment as this embodiment is configured for use with a number sense and numeration subset of the ‘math’ field. Subsets of a field or subject may be understood as ‘strands’ of the field or subject in question. Five strands of a math-related board game are explicitly considered herein, although other strands or a different choice of subsets may be used instead. In some embodiments, each strand may be identified by a different colour. QUESTION spots may be provided to enable a more conventional approach to learning propagation; where players are asked to answer a question relating to the strand or subject in question. In some embodiments the educational game may include a set of question cards for use in providing the questions to be answered, in other embodiments questions may be posed by participants such as players, as described further below.
Where an educational game includes question cards, answers may be provided on the card. When an on-turn player lands on a QUESTION tile, an off-turn player may pick up a question card and ask the on-turn player a question from the card, and may check the players answer against the answer on the card. Where an answer is wrong, the on-turn player may suffer a penalty, such as having their turn progress undone. In other embodiments, a question card may not have an answer on the card, but the answer may be provided elsewhere, such as in an organized answer booklet. Having a separate answer booklet may increase the effort needed to find an answer, but may reduce production costs and may allow the on-turn player to pick up the question card directly. A separate answer booklet may also assist in teaching players how to look up answers, and an organized answer booklet may assist in teaching players relations between types of answers.
Board 1100 also includes SWAP tiles, landing on which may enable a player to collect a swap card 1220, as detailed further below, for use in swapping for a new question if the player decides a given question is too difficult or otherwise does not wish to answer the given question.
Board 1100 also includes HELP tiles, landing on which may enable a player to collect a help card 1210, as detailed further below, for use in seeking assistance with a question.
Board 1100 also includes FREE TIME tiles, landing on which may give a player a free turn. FREE TIME tiles may encourage player engagement in offering a break from answering questions. FREE TIME tiles may assist in encouraging a competitive environment in which a player is given a chance to relax without that relaxation directly limiting their speed in traversing the cyclical tiles and or collecting the required amount of money to win. FREE TIME may encourage players to relax without worrying that the relaxation is bad for their performance in the game. Free time tiles or spaces may assist in keeping players, including children, interested in the educational board game.
Set of cards 1200 may include several subsets. The subsets included in set of cards 1200 may vary in accordance with embodiments of an educational game. In one exemplary embodiment, set of cards 1200 includes 12 HELP cards 1210, 12 SWAP cards 1220, 4 SPOILER cards 1230, and 300 QUESTION cards, a series of cash representations, and a series of cheque representations.
A QUESTION card may pose a question for a player to answer, and may be used one at a time when a player lands on a QUESTION tile. A HELP card 1210 may enable a player to use a helper, such as asking another person, asking another player, taking a set period of time to look up the answer in a textbook or online, etc., and may be collected when a player lands on a HELP tile. A SWAP card 1220 may enable a player to switch questions, and may be collected when a player lands on a SWAP tile. SWAP cards 1220 and HELP cards 1210 may assist with player engagement as players are given some flexibility in answering questions, but are called upon to make strategic decisions within a defined set of options; which may motivate players to answer more difficult questions than they otherwise would, without inducing a player to give up on the game when encountering a difficult question.
The series of cash representations may include six $10 representations, six $100 representations, and six $1,000 representations. The series of cheque representations may include six $10,000 cheque representations, six $100,000 cheque representations, and six $1,000,000 cheque representations. High values may encourage player engagement and also help in teaching principles of math.
In other embodiments, the series of cash representations may tend to refer to virtual or crypto currency rather than a national currency. For example, OPS coins 1400 may be provided, such as in a series of 10, 100 1000, 10,000, 100,000, and 1,000,000 denominations, and may be colour coded. This may help to introduce players to different types of currency and assist in generalizing teaching principles. Having coins, such as colour coded coins, for monetary representations may permit a game to be made in a more cost-effective way than full-colour, two-sided money or money and cheques, though in some cases conventional money or money and cheques may be preferred.
Monetary representations may be separated into cash and cheque representations to teach participants about real world monetary signifiers. Value amounts may be determined to provide an opportunity to provide an equal number of realistic cash and cheque representations. In other embodiments, other values may be chosen, such as higher values, which may assist in player engagement, or lower values, which may allow for more real-world simulation.
Educational game 1000 will also include a set of tokens 1300, one to represent each player or team. The tokens may include representations of common math operators, such as addition 1310, subtraction 1320, and multiplication 1330. Where these three are used, other operators may fill out the set, such as if a set of six is required it may also include division, equal, and not equal. In some embodiments, the set of tokens may be 3-D Base 10, unit cubes, with each token of a different colour and each token shaped based on a 3-D math object.
A SPOILER card 1230 may enable a player to cause another player to move back to the START tile. For gameplay, each player may receive one or more spoiler cards 1230 at the beginning of the game. A SPOILER card 1230 or similar gameplay element may encourage teamwork, competition, strategic thinking, and player engagement. In other embodiments, other spoiler options may be included in addition to or in alternative to the use of SPOILER cards 1230. An educational board game may also include an option for keeping tabs on the use of a spoiler, and may include a limited number of spoilers, or a limited number of spoilers per player.
The set of game instructions will be configured to direct gameplay in which the goal is to be the first player to traverse the cyclical track of tiles a set number of time, such as six times. The set of game instructions may provide the rough boundaries of game play and may be provided in English, English and French, or French. However, in some embodiments, game rules including the principles of the present invention may be devised during or prior to play.
TABLE 2A, TABLE 2B and TABLE 2C set out example rules as part of an embodiment of an educational board game incorporating a single question strand, relating to number sense and numeration, corresponding to board 1100 of
TABLE 2D, TABLE 2E, and TABLE 2F set out a set of example rules as part of another embodiment of an educational board game incorporating a single question strand, relating to number sense and numeration, and in which coins are used instead of bills or cheques.
TABLE 3A, TABLE 3B and TABLE 3C set out a set of example rules as part of an embodiment of an educational board game incorporating a single question strand, relating to measurement.
TABLE 3D, TABLE 3E, TABLE 3F and TABLE 3G set out a set of example rules as part of another embodiment of an educational board game incorporating a single question strand, relating to measurement.
TABLE 4A, TABLE 4B and TABLE 4C set out a set of example rules as part of an educational board game incorporating a single question strand, relating to patterns and algebra.
TABLE 4D, TABLE 4E, and TABLE 4F set out a set of example rules as part of another embodiment of an educational board game incorporating a single question strand, relating to patterns and algebra.
TABLE 5A and TABLE 5B set out a set of example rules as part of an educational board game incorporating a single question strand, relating to data management and probability.
TABLE 5C, TABLE 5D and TABLE 5E set out a set of example rules as part of another embodiment of an educational board game incorporating a single question strand, relating to data management and probability.
TABLE 6A, TABLE 6B and TABLE 6C set out a set of example rules as part of an educational board game incorporating a single question strand, relating to geometry and spatial sense.
TABLE 6D, TABLE 6E, and TABLE 6F set out a set of example rules as part of another embodiment of an educational board game incorporating a single question strand, relating to geometry and spatial sense.
TABLE 7A, TABLE 7B and TABLE 7C set out a set of example rules as part of an educational board game incorporating multiple question strands, such as five questions strands each providing 60 questions.
TABLE 7D, TABLE 7E, and TABLE 7F set out a set of example rules as part of another embodiment of an educational board game incorporating multiple question strands.
TABLE 8A, TABLE 8B, and TABLE 8C set out a set of example rules as part of an educational board game for a single unspecified strand.
TABLE 9A, TABLE 9B and TABLE 9C set out a set of example rules as part of an educational board game for a two-sided game board, one side for multiple question strands and the other for a single strand.
TABLE 10A, TABLE 10B, TABLE 10C, and TABLE 10D set out a set of example rules as part of an educational board game in French.
In some embodiments, the set of game instructions may provide for a plurality of strands, while in others, the game instructions may provide for one strand. For example, where a focus on one subset of the subject focus is required, the game instructions may relate only to that subset and the game may include questions relating only to that subset.
Educational game 1000 may also include a record keeping table or notepad, such as a scorecard depicted in TABLE 11, below. A record keeping table may be provided in addition to or in replacement of monetary signifiers.
In an embodiment, a single game unit may include a ‘strand’ game board, an ‘all strands’ game board, 1 dice, 4 SPOILER cards 1230, 60 QUESTION cards for each of 5 strands for a total of 300 QUESTION cards, 12 HELP cards 1210, 12 SWAP cards 1220, 6 tokens, 6 $10 OPS chips, 6 $100 OPS chips, 6 $1,000 OPS chips, 6 $10,000 OPS chips, 6 $100,000 OPS chips, 6 $1,000,000 OPS chips, 1 recording sheet, 2 rules sheets, and 1 answer booklet.
The numbers specified above are provided as an exemplary embodiment. In other embodiments, more or less cards may be used, more or less tokens may be used, more or less laps and rewards may be used, a subset of the different tile and card types may be used, functional equivalents of the tile or card types may be used, etc. In some embodiments, more components may be provided to encourage large games. For example, more than six tokens may be provided to allow more than six players, and corresponding increases in the amount of monetary pieces, cards, and other game pieces may also be made. In some embodiments, less components may be provided to lower production costs and because fewer players may result in greater player engagement. For example, the game may be designed for 2 to 4 players, and the number of tokens, cards, and other items may be provided accordingly. In an embodiment designed for four players, a game may include 4 tokens, 12 HELP cards 1210, 12 SWAP cards 1220, and 4 SPOILER cards 1230, instead of the quantities provided for six players.
In some embodiments, a set of game pieces may include one or more boards with game boards provided on each surface. For example a set of game pieces may include one board with one face being an ‘all strands’ board and the other face being a ‘strand’ face.
In some embodiments an educational game may include an administrator or teacher function, which may allow a teacher or other educator to participate in a modified role to guide gameplay. For example, a teacher role may enable an educator to modify the rules during gameplay to accommodate situational concerns.
In embodiments, particularly in embodiments of an educational board game in which the propagation of learning other than math-related learning is the objective, changes may be made to the math-related embodiment detailed herein. For example, playing tokens may represent famous artists or works of art, question cards may be replaced with representations of artwork or geographic features, HELP options may include consulting a specified website for an answer, etc.
In some embodiments a board game may come in a variety of sizes and compositions. An educational board game may include a standard table-top board size of 1.5 to 3 feet by 1.5 to 3 feet, and may be made of semi-rigid cardboard-style material. An educational board game may include a human-size board proportioned to allow players to walk from tile to tile, and may be made of softer material such as a firm foam, such as a set of foam tiles with serrated edges to clip together to allow users to customize a game board. An educational board game may include an intermediary sized board, such as a mat made of rollable cloth-style material, such as to allow children to play the educational board game on a floor.
In some embodiments the board of an educational board game may incorporate one or more board magnetic components for interaction with one or more play piece magnetic components built into play pieces, such as magnets built into tokens. Magnetic interaction may assist in keeping the educational board game tidy, and may keep players from becoming frustrated or otherwise unfocused from the desired aspects of the game.
In some embodiments the tiles or spaces of a game board may be interchangeable or customizable, allowing players to design their own game, focus on subjects and subject strands of particular interest, or otherwise interact with the game and gameplay. In embodiments in which magnetic components are integrated, magnetic interaction may be used to hold a tile face onto a tile. In other embodiments, other fasteners may be used, such as hook and loop fasteners.
In some embodiments educational board game may be provided without questions, or may otherwise include options or opportunities for players to come up with and pose questions during game play. For example, where an on-turn player is required to answer a question, the question could be posed by one or more off-turn players. In some embodiments, questions may be formed or provided or posed by a teacher or other authority figure, who may be one of the players or may be a non-player participant or may be a player participating in an executive or authority role.
In some embodiments, educational board game may be presented as a military-style operation for dealing with an educational subject. For example, when dealing with math, educational board game may be presented as a ‘Math-Op’ game, comprising a military-style operation for beating math, and may include reference to math operations such as addition or subtraction. Such presentation may assist in player engagement. In other embodiments, the game could be presented in ways to appeal to particular demographic groups.
In some embodiments, an educational board game may not be provided for play by six players. In some embodiments, an educational board game may be played by one or more player. In some embodiments, play allowing only one player may expand the opportunities for educational board game to be played. In some embodiments, play requiring two or more players may provide additional opportunities for the inclusion of desired elements, such as competition and teamwork.
This description also relates to teaching a subject using a rubric for instructing students in the creation of an educational game. In some embodiments, the rubric may include a listing of essential elements of an educational game. In some embodiments, the rubric may include required components of an educational game. The rubric may be a project for incorporation into a curriculum. The rubric may itself be an educational game involving requiring players to develop educational sub-games according to provided guidelines.
In some embodiments, an educational game may be provided as a project for inclusion in a teaching curriculum, such as an end-of-year fun project. As a project, an educational game board may include a rubric to go with the project, and may include a marking guide, such as for evaluating student participation, completion, teamwork, or other aspects, and may also include other project-related instruction.
In the exemplary embodiment depicted in
The educational game 3000 also includes assigning a sub-game creation task at step 3002, such as assigning a class of students to break up into groups with each group creating a sub-game, such as a math-related board game. Assigning the creation of sub-games may encourage players to engage with a subject area of interest, and may encourage players to critically examine a subject area to find material for the game, while also engaging a creative aspect. Where groups work together, assigning the creation of a sub-game may encourage teamwork. Assigning the creation of an independently playable sub-game may increase player interest in the educational game, may encourage an atmosphere of fun, and may enable players to bring together outside expertise in combination with the subject area of interest, such as bringing their knowledge and love of commonly played games into combination with math or geography.
The educational game 3000 also includes setting sub-game creation criteria at step 3003, such as requiring that each subgame include a set of questions relating to a subject or strand or requiring that the game be a board game or requiring that a board game include specified tiles or creating a game brochure having specified elements. Criteria may enable the educational game to be sufficiently defined to keep players interested and enable sub-games to be compared, while also ensuring sub-game creation includes a significant educational component, such as by requiring a set of questions relating to a subject area of interest.
The educational game 3000 also includes receiving and grading the resulting sub-games at step 3004. Receiving and grading the subgames may include taking up the games in an interactive way or a more private grading. Grading may simply involve sharing the resulting sub-games with the larger group, or may involve providing a formal mark or feedback for inclusion in a broader curriculum evaluation.
In some embodiments, a rubric or other set of instructions for the playing of an educational game involving the creation of subgames may be provided. For example, a rubric may be provided in association with gameplay aids for use in classroom gameplay.
In some embodiments, an educational game may also be provided in an app or otherwise electronically. One or more computers may host a gameplay server, which may enable a player to engage with the educational game using one or more display device.
Various embodiments of the invention have been described in detail. Since changes in and or additions to the above-described best mode may be made without departing from the nature, spirit or scope of the invention, the invention is not to be limited to those details but only by the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62626737 | Feb 2018 | US |
