Games For Training

Buzzer App for Kindle Fire

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:17:00 +0000

Now you can use a Kindle Fire as a game show buzzer with Game Show Presenter PLUS software. The BigRedBuzzer app from Buzzers.com allows up to 4 players to have buzzer buttons on the Fire. The app costs 99 cents. You'll also need the free PickMe!Keys laptop/desktop software (Mac or PC) that can be downloaded at buzzers.com

Mac Game Show PLUS Updated for Lion

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:09:00 +0000

Game Show Presenter PLUS is now compatible with Mac OS 10.7 (Lion) and includes many new features and fixes in the new version 6.0. If you are a current user, there's an upgrade for the program. Contact us for details on that. Note that V6 needs a Mac Intel machine, so older PowerPC Macs should not upgrade to this new version.

New Mac Version Begins Beta Testing

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 19:35:00 +0000

Game Show Presenter PLUS now has a new beta version for MacOS 10.4 and higher. This version aims to be compatible with Apple's new "Lion" OS, to be released soon. If you are a Mac user running the Lion OS beta and you'd like to beta test Game Show PLUS as well, drop us a note.

Brain Improvement Program Gets Amnesia

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:25:00 +0000

The brain improvement game I've been testing has suddenly lost its memory! This is like finding out your personal trainer eats Twinkies for breakfast. All records of my daily efforts are gone. The "Body and Brain Connection" Kinect game has amnesia.

Here's what happened: Every day for three weeks I've been using "Body and Brain Connection" game on Kinect and writing about it in this blog. The other day, I signed in to the brain-age game and it welcomed me as a "new player". New player? Hey, I've been using this thing daily for 3 weeks! I signed out, restarted and signed in again. Same thing.

My brain went into troubleshooting mode. There had been an overnight power outage in our neighborhood, though the X-Box and Kinect machines were switched off and connected to power surge protectors. And no other Kinect games were suffering from amnesia. Oddly, when I entered the stats area of the brain-age game it had no record of my prior efforts, but the game did retain records for two visitors who played the game briefly weeks ago. No joy. No justice.

Further checking found the X-Box's date had reset to 2005, probably a result of the power outage. I set it right. Since the brain-age game maintains a calendar of player's use and periodic test scores, I can see how having the date rollback might mix it up. Yet it did retain results for the two other players, but not me. (Maybe I cursed the dancing lightbulb guy on the loading screen once too often and this is his revenge.)

So, it's back to neuron one for this old brain. As a new player, the game made me take a baseline test. I scored 45. Better than my first baseline score of 57. I guess that's my consolation prize.

Week 2 Shrinks My Brain Age to 43

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 20:18:00 +0000

My brain age test after two weeks of daily brain games using Kinects is 43 -- down from 54 last week and 57 when I began using the "Brain and Body Connection" game.

Will this astounding improvement go to my head? I think not, for these three reasons:

1. When I did my first two runs through the brain age assessment test, I had zero experience with the game/exercises used for the test. I felt my performance was pretty bad. In fact, I commented on this in last week's article. Well, I stand corrected. I thought the game did not use the same games in the test as it does in daily training, but it does. It was just a matter of time before I had played enough brain games to start seeing the repetition. (There are 20 different brain games in the program, each with 3 levels of difficulty in each.)

This week, each of the three challenges in the brain age assessment were ones I'd played in daily training, so naturally I did better. No surprise, then, that my score improved.

2. No sooner than I dropped 11 unsightly years from my brain age, than I began my daily 20-30 minutes of training and the game served up a new game -- shape matching -- that left me completely stumped. I mean stumped to the point that I just stared at the screen with a look of total stupefaction unable to figure out what I'm supposed to do. Which bring me to the third reason that doing well in this game will never go to my head.

3. "Brain and Body Connection" takes pictures of you when you don't know it, then uses those pictures in the infographics it displays to show your progress. (Remember, Kinect games are based on a camera technology that is always watching you, so it can easily save snapshots at any moment. And it does.) It would be nice to get a little warning. But, no. This game has a knack for catching me at the worst angles in the worst light at the worst moments. There's one picture of me where I look like I'm emerging from a dark alley intent on breaking the legs of the dancing lightbulb character in the game. But that picture is downright flattering compared to the picture of me with a look of stupefaction as I try to understand the shape matching game.

It's funny about the pictures, because Kinect allows you to setup avatars and the "Brain and Body Connection" game uses your avatar within the various games and exercises. So why doesn't it use your avatar on the infographics instead of these awful and unexpected snapshots? If this game goes to version 2, I'd strongly suggest they drop the snapshots in favor of the avatar, or add a lot more control for the user over the images.

Anyway, one day after I achieved brain stupefaction, I played the matching shape brain game again. This time I read the directions twice and watch the tutorial until I had an "aha" moment. Once I knew how to operate the interface, I scored a "B" on my first attempt.

This illustrates the problem with the "brain age" calculation that is the heart of this game. Your numbers for any given test are likely to be skewed by what you don't understand about the game or Kinect, and not necessary on your wits or reflexes. If you could stick with the game for a month or spend more than the 20-30 minutes per day I'm doing, then maybe the brain age results would level out. But my own astounding improvement in brain age is really just me catching on to the game rather than proof that little effort could yield big results.

I do feel a bit sharper in some things, and I like the mix of mental and physical activity that comes with Kinect-based games like "Brain and Body Connection". But the same day I racked up an 11-year improvement in my brain age I also wandered all over the house looking for my car keys. Just like old times for this brain.

Results for Week 1 of Brain Game Use

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 03:03:00 +0000

Week One is done and, according to "Brain and Body Connection", my brain age is three years younger! A week ago, I was 57. Today, it's 54. I feel like I'm in one of those cheesy testimonial ads: "I lost 3 years in 1 week!"

[Quick summary if you just joined us. I'm reporting my weekly progress with a Kinect's game that aims to help you improve your "brain age" through a series of game-like mental challenges.]

I did stick with using the program daily for about 20-30 minutes per day. And on those days the various mental challenge games had me feeling plenty stupid. In particular, the pizza catching game which challenges both memory and dexterity was humbling.

When I took the brain age test after one week, I found I was still flubbing up how to do the test. (Imagine you've never heard of multiple choice before. That's how I felt.) Yet I managed to come out of it with a brain age rating of 54.

Am I actually smarter after just one week? That's hard to believe, no matter what the game says. The one part of my brain that is still strong is the skeptical side. So I'll continue to work at the game, but to look for proof of improvement in real life and not just according to the game's feedback.

When the program tests you, the test activities are not the same games as the game/exercises you play through the week. And I am a person who really needs a dry run at something to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing. But the brain age test doesn't give you that opportunity. It just throws you in the deep end. So I really was surprised to see an improved score.

There is good variety in the regular games, and each game has multiple levels of difficulty. The games fall into the categories of math, logic, reflexes and memory. You can play free-form and just choose some games, but mainly I've been sticking with the recommended exercises that the game presents each day. Supposedly, the program is built on the expertise of Ryuta Kawashima, MD, an "expert on the science of brain imaging." So I'm sticking mainly to the games/exercises the doc prescribes for now.

There's an animated version of the doctor in the game, and he offers verbal feedback. However, it's not very useful. For instance, after I had a pathetic score at the pizza catching/memory game, the doc advised me: "focus on working harder". Well, duh. But, hey, I quickly learned to ignore the doctor's advice -- just like real life!

So, here's a taste of what week-one games were like:
* Each exercise/game is timed and you get a score for your efforts at the end. I haven't had this many "F"s since, well, ever. Even when you perform accurately, the program may penalize you if you aren't quick about it. A game that starts out "easy" can get challenging real quick.
* Playing the games involves taking physical actions in front of the Kinects camera. These aren't difficult, but it does make you aware of the lag time between thinking of an answer and acting on it. You also learn to keep your reflexes in check as that can lead to wrong answers.
* The pizza catching/memory game that made me feel like an idiot early in the week is now one I'm really good at. So while I'm not convinced I've really rolled back the clock on my brain a whole three years in one week, I do feel ready to work at the end of a frozen pizza assembly line. I've got skills!

Check back next week and we'll see what new challenges the program can throw my way.

Test Driving a Brain Age Game on Kinect

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Mon, 30 May 2011 02:55:00 +0000

If you feel your brain isn't as sharp as it used to be, welcome to a very big, dumb club! Well, maybe "dumb" isn't entirely fair to all of us. Most of us do continue to be productive as we age. But it's hard not to feel dumb when your daily experience shows your memory, math, reasoning and other skills are on the fade. What can be done about this?

Like many of you, I use puzzle games like Sudoku to challenge my mind. After a year of doing Sudoku, I'm really good at Sudoku. But I'd rather be good at remembering what I just came down to the basement for and practical things like that.

So when I received the game "Body and Brain Connection" for my 57th birthday this month, I decided to make an experiment out of it. This is one of the new generation of games that uses a variety of game-like challenges to exercise and improve mental function. Plus, it tracks your performance over time and summaries all that as a "brain age".

So, can a 50-something guy who feels his brain slowing down use a fun tool like Kinect and this brain training game to improve his mind? Or, is your humble guinea pig destined to become a dummy? For the next month or more, I'll put the game and my brain to the test, and document it here.

First, what is this game? "Body and Brain Connections" is one of the many products out there today promising to help people reduce their brain age. One thing that makes it cool, compared to others, is it is available for the X-Box Kinect, so you don't use a mouse or a joystick to play the various mental challenge games in the program. Instead, you stand in front of the Kinect and it sees you and tracks your body motion. You interact with the game by moving your hands, feet and whole body. (It's like Wii, but you don't have to hold any controller gizmo.) Kinects is cool and "Body and Brain Connection" is just one of the games available for it.

First Impressions
My first run with the game made me feel kind of dumb. No surprise there. It took me a while to get the hand of the interface, because I am not of the game generation. Basically, you move your hand to select an onscreen button or action. But with this particular Kinect game, once your hand is over the item you want, you need to reach your hand forward a bit toward the item. This changes the cursor to be a grasping fist and in no time you have begun. The grasping business did take me way too long to figure out, so I share this with you now to spare you the humiliation.

There is one thing about the games that I find quite annoying. It's the little lightbulb guy, who makes inane comments and dances like a dufus at every loading screen. He gets old fast -- even faster than my brain. If you recall the annoying assistant named "Clippy" from Microsoft Windows, this is similar. I'm trying to view him as just another test of my brain... this one testing my patience. The other onscreen character is a doctor who comments on your progress, offers tidbits and advice.

One of the first things the game wants you to do is establish a baseline for your brain age. So that means it gives you a short series of challenges that amount to a brain fitness test. And at the end, it declares your brain age.

I got off to a rocky start with the fitness test because I was stumbling over the interface. (I hope you do better.) So when the game declared my brain age, I was fearing I'd get something in the 80s. I was relieved to get a brain age of 57 -- my exact age.

The plan now is to play the brain health games every day for 20-30 minutes per day, and test progress weekly. So check back soon for the report on the first week of brain game training and more review comments about this game. Will my "brain age" get younger? Older? Or will the lightbulb guy turn my brain age to a brain rage? We shall see.

No Buzzers? No Problem.

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 20:16:00 +0000

Buzzers are optional when using Game Show Presenter in a quiz game. For one easy alternative, use a drawing container. Before the game, pass the container around so people can add their name if they want to participate.

Then, start the quiz show using 1-player mode. When a question appears, draw a name and that person gets a chance to answer. Or if you are playing with a Jeopardy-style category board, then draw the name and let that person choose a question from the categories.

To generate even more motivation, add a prize drawing at the end of the quiz. Let your audience know that anyone who gives a correct answer during the game will have his or her name moved to the prize-drawing container. At the end of the show, draw and award the prize to one person.

It's a fun, easy and low-cost way to conduct a quiz show presentation with Game Show Presenter software.

What works? Retrieval Practice Games

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:10:00 +0000

What works in training and education? A new study says tests can provide valuable retrieval practice.

"Retrieval Practice Produces More Learning than Elaborative Studying with Concept Mapping" is the headline at the Science website. The abstract says "practicing retrieval produces greater gains in meaningful learning than elaborative studying with concept mapping."

This news supports what we hear from the trainers and educators who use our retrieval practice games in the classroom and training room. Review games are all about retrieval practice. It's just that the test is done in a fun way, which helps increase attention spans.

When a class or presentation ends with a series of quiz show questions reviewing key points or details, that's retrieval practice. We believe the value of retrieval practice gets a further boost from the fun factor of the game show environment, which can override the dread and drudgery often associated with pure testing.

"Our findings support the theory that retrieval practice enhances learning by retrieval-specific mechanisms rather than by elaborative study processes," say the authors of the study. "Retrieval practice is an effective tool to promote conceptual learning about science."

Once Upon a Time in Training...

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:10:00 +0000

Once upon a time in the training field, cookie monster had teeth and worked for IBM...

Fast, Free, 4-Player Buzzer System

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:13:00 +0000

If you have an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch, then you may also have a free, 4-player buzzer system that works with Game Show Presenter software.

All you need to do is get the new PickMeBuzzer app from the iTunes store and download a "client" app for your PC or Mac from the buzzers.com site. The client app receives the buzz-in signals from your iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch and communicates who buzzed in first to Game Show Presenter.

The PickMeBuzzer is a great innovation by Groupics, the company behind buzzers.com. It works by having your iPhone/iPod on the same WiFi network as the PC or Mac running the client software.

The PickMeBuzzer is flexible. You can use it in the free, "Pocket 4 Player Buzzer System" mode as shown in the picture here. But if you have multiple players who each have iPad/iPhone/iPod Touches, then you can take it to the next level and let each individual buzz-in from his own device. (As with most apps, there's some fee involved if you use the advanced capabilities.)

In the free "Pocket 4 Player Buzzer System" mode, you just need one i-gizmo, which you would set on a table in the middle of your four (or less) players. Then they can buzz in by pressing the red button with their player number on it. The client side program runs in the background on your PC or Mac so it can pass through the buzzer info. to Game Show Presenter.

Read all about this and get the free software download with the following links:
Buzzers.com PickMeBuzzers page and client app download.
iTunes store for the PickMeBuzzers app download.

Who Do You Train?

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:22:00 +0000

Do you train your customers? Independent reps or dealers? Volunteers? Training these groups is different from training staff. Their participation is voluntary and they may not be getting paid to sit through the training. So you must constantly earn their attention and maintain their motivation, even when the subject matter gets dry. That's where a training game like Game Show Presenter really pays off.

When you make an effort to make your training material fun and engaging, people will respond to that. You can increase the level of participation and retention while you also boost morale. Instead of the usual ho-hum review, you can present a game show-style activity that presents your material in an energizing and challenging experience.

There are two forms of Game Show Presenter software: one for live, instructor-led training and another for online training. You can see a live demo of the online version at www.elearning-games.com. Let us know which version is best suited to your needs. And if you need both, we will make a special software bundle for you that gives you both tools at a significant discount.

Training customers, volunteers or distributors can be crucial to building future sales or service. So get maximum benefit by adding game show-style training either online or as part of your instructor-led training events. Contact us if you want to discuss how to do this.

See You at Safety Engineers Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:54:00 +0000

We will be exhibiting and presenting at the American Society of Safety Engineers, 2nd Annual Heart of American Chapter conference on June 4, 2010, in Kansas City, MO. It's a one-day event. Here's the conference agenda and registration info. Hope you can be there. We'll be discussing games as a motivator in safety training.

"Just Say No to PowerPoint" week

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:32:00 +0000

"Just Say No to PowerPoint" week starts Feb 7 and runs...let's just say forever.

Safety Training Events for 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:36:00 +0000

Hey, safety trainers! We've updated our calendar of safety training events for 2010. Let us know if we've missed one specific to your safety topics.

"Keeping Them Engaged" Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:41:00 +0000

This week's "Keeping Them Engaged" Podcast (opens in iTunes) features an interview with Tom Bodine about Game Show Presenter and the use of training games. Podcast host Bobby Brooks is a master at the art of keeping trainees and students engaged. He's been using Game Show Presenter for five years in his classes and training sessions. Check out www.keepingthemengaged.com to tap into a stream of ideas and insights you can use and to find out about Bobby's faculty development seminars and train-the-trainer workshops.

High Cost of Neglecting Safety Training

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:48:00 +0000

What happens when safety training is neglected? Kansas City, Missouri, is offering an unfortunate example for all to see in this report from the Kansas City Star.

According to data from the National Council for Compensation Insurance, Kansas City’s workers’ compensation losses are running an average of 30 percent more than other cities of similar size. Effective safety training programs pay for themselves by helping reduce injuries and claims.

The safety training industry offers a wide range of services that will help Kansas City catch up with standard safety practice while reducing costs. The trick will be for the city to find funds for this effort during this recession. It's the classic pinch point of a rock and a hard place. They say "Safety first", but this is really a case of "Funding first." We're hoping the city will be able to get a safety training program underway in 2010. At least now it is aware of the problem and the opportunity to make valuable improvements.

Information Scavenger Hunt in a Game Show

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:43:00 +0000

If you need to train and motivate people to use a resource such as a handbook, manual or online database, here's a clever way to make a tedious topic into a fun challenge.

You can use Game Show Presenter software to present an information scavenger hunt where the resource is used as an "open book" test disguised as a challenging game show. Each question in the game show presents a research challenge. Trainees must use the resource to find the answer. Doing so develops familiarity with the resource and skill at using it under pressure to solve a problem.

While most quizzes just reward people for what they already know, the idea here is to reward them for what they can find out. Moreover, it builds the skill of "finding out." It motivates people to excel in the game by mastering the organizational structure of your resource. The table of contents, the index or search tools -- topics that would normally put a training class to sleep -- become the tools that give winners the edge in a lively and fun game activity.

Benefits of this approach:

Builds skills at using the resources to find and apply answers.
Breaks down resistance to using the resource by having trainees repeatedly use it in a challenging activity.
Rewards the successful use of the resource with points and praise in the game.

The possible applications for this idea are quite diverse. Just last month, we heard from customers using it to train real estate brokers on rules and regulations and to train call center workers to use a new database tool to quickly handle caller's questions.

If you'd like to know more, leave a comment or send us an email. Also, we'd like to hear your ideas for using games to overcome training and educational problems.

Site for Employee Learning Week

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:51:00 +0000

If you work in the training field, make room on your December schedule for Employee Learning Week, Dec. 7-11, 2009. Employee Learning Week highlights the important connection between learning and achieving organizational results. Check the link above for ideas and details about this annual event.

Motivating Learners Presentation

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:33:00 +0000

Tom Bodine, developer at Bodine Training Games, is speaking on how to Motivate Learners - Game Show Style Training Reviews at the conference of the National Association of Government Training & Development, Oct 26, 2009 in Kansas City.

Quiz Show Teaches Legal Concepts

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:02:00 +0000

Game Show Presenter software can now be ordered in a special Law Bundle that includes a 100-question quiz on Research Sources and Case Law. The bundle aims to enhance the learning experience in a law school first year Legal Writing and Research course.

Educators in law schools can modify the questions to their own needs and use the software's Quiz Editor to create their own quiz show presentations for classes and events.

The 100 questions of the game are in multiple choice format and focus on: basic legal terminology, basic information about research sources and concepts of jurisdiction and court hierarchy.

See our Law Quiz Show Bundle page for more information.

Training Workshop Essentials book released

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Mon, 11 May 2009 02:33:00 +0000

Training Workshop Essentials: Designing, Developing and Delivering Learning Events That Get Results is the newest book by prolific training author Bob Lucas. This unique training resource offers trainers, educators, and facilitators a hands-on guide for designing and implementing training workshops and sessions that incorporate concepts learned from research on how the human brain best obtains, retains and recalls information. By using this proven approach, trainers can create memorable workshops that are dynamic, fun, and effective events.

The author shows how to design, develop, and deliver training from a whole-brain perspective that addresses the three different learning modalities (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic). Trainers can tap into accelerated learning strategies, address needs of different generational and diverse learners, and employ learner-tested techniques by applying key concepts from this book.

Training Workshop Essentials offers brain-based strategies and techniques that go beyond typical training methods. These approaches will reach out and pull learners into the session's content, and allow them to truly experience and retain the information long after the training ends. The book can be purchased at www.globalperformancestrategies.com

New "Creative Learning" book

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:16:00 +0000

Need fresh ideas to engage your trainees? Tap the mind of master trainer Bob Lucas. His most recent book "Creative Learning: Activities and Games That REALLY Engage People" is loaded with new activities and games that can be used by trainers, presenters and educators in virtually any type of indoor learning environment.

The book includes more than 50 icebreakers and introductions motivators, brainteaser and energizers transition and reinforcement activities, stories that teach and powerful session closers. But it goes further by exploring the theory and concepts behind using games and activities. Lucas discusses the research that supports the case for focusing on brain-based (active) learning, and the benefits of adding fun and novelty to the learning environment. He also offers guidance on the possible scenarios when these brain-based games might be appropriate.

The book is available here.

Kindle as Training and HR Tool

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 03:00:00 +0000

Amazon's version 2 of the Kindle electronic reading device makes this wireless, paperless technology even more interesting as a tool for training and human resources.

Most people think of the Kindle as an electronic book platform, which it is, but if you work in training or human resources, consider these other uses:

Kindle can display PDF and Word files. You can simply email the files to the Kindle. That makes Kindle a very cost-efficient and green way to make your employee manuals and other workplace documentation available to workers who do not have PC access. Best of all, updating your documentation is as easy emailing the latest version to the Kindle.

Kindle can read text aloud. This is a great capability for workers who need access to manuals of instruction or documentation as they are engaged in the work. They can keep their eyes and hands on the task while listening to the instructions. It also makes your information more accessible to workers who don't read well.

PDF technology has been great for distributing documents, forms and publications in electronic format, provided all your people are on computers. But now Kindle extends the range of all your docs, forms and pubs to reach your entire workforce without the necessity for universal PC access.

Make Compliance Training Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 01:54:00 +0000

With a new year, comes new compliance training. Normally, that's nothing to get excited about. But this year, we encourage you to snap your trainees to attention by making compliance training fun. And we're going to help you do it.

Game Show Presenter software is a presentation tool that's been used to make training fun in a lot of not-so-fun occupations and mandatory training situations. It lets you put your compliance review in the form of a game show, which adds excitement, challenge, motivation and humor. If you have not tried this before, there is no better time to do so. Because it can really make a difference in the attitude and level of attention of your trainees. So grab the free trial of the PLUS Edition here. Try it. And if you find, as so many other trainers have, that it's an invaluable tool, then here's a special "new year" discount for you. Just type the word "compliance" in the coupon box on the order page and you can buy the popular PLUS Edition for just $99 -- a savings of $50! That offer is good through the end of January, 2009.

Happy new year!