Games For 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!

Survey Asks Trainers: What Works?

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:12:00 +0000

A recent survey of 1,344 training professionals covers matters ranging from budgets to most effective T&D practices. Results of the 2008 Training Manager Survey can be viewed online.

Among the many questions put to trainers was this: "Select the top three training and development practices you feel are the most effective". The graph above shows instructor-led training was, by far, the top pick at 69%. E-learning hung back in 5th place with 43%, but was still far ahead of the remaining six choices.

Jim Donoho of Metri-Mark Inc. offered these highlights from the survey results:

47% expect a moderate decline in training budgets due to the economy (The survey closed Oct. 20, 2008, so it reflects at least some of the latest economic turmoil.)
71% of respondents said that their e-learning practices have changed the most in the past 2 years
66% strongly agree that e-learning is more effective when combined with other forms of learning
43% strongly agree that e-learning is not a substitute for face-to-face classroom learning.

New Blog Focuses on Teaching Games

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:47:00 +0000

We've added a new blog at www.fun-learning-tools.com. If you are a teacher, principal, student or parent, the new blog offers you news, reviews and ideas to make learning more fun and effective.

The blog you are reading now (www.gamesfortraining.com) will stay focused on training and presentation games in the workplace, government and nonprofit organizations. For either blog, your comments are welcome.

Precision: More or Less a Good Thing?

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:20:00 +0000

Author Seth Godin offers a fresh insight on quizzes and testing in a blog post that begins with an unfortunate quiz bowl experience.

No Pain, No Train

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:06:00 +0000

Trainers and educators face the Confidence Paradox on a routine basis.

The paradox is known as the Dunning-Kruger Effect, named after the scientists who observed "the skills that engender competence in a particular domain are often the very same skills necessary to evaluate competence in that domain—one's own or anyone else's. Because of this, incompetent individuals lack... the ability to know how well one is performing, when one is likely to be accurate in judgment, and when one is likely to be in error." (APA Journal article)

How do you break through the Confidence Paradox in training?

Games can help. Here at Bodine Training Games, we think one great value of training and review games is to deliver consequences for ignorance, faulty or obsolete knowledge without anyone needing to suffer real-world damage from it.

The game show atmosphere has the unique ability to make mundane questions feel like there's a lot at stake. So when a person delivers a wrong answer to a training question -- especially an answer he is confident is right -- the correction is accompanied with a twinge of pain and a loss of points and even pride. See that grimace on the trainee's face? That's the look of learning. It's not painless when the bubble of unearned confidence gets popped. But it's a matter of no pain, no train. Fortunately, the pain is delivered in the harmless form of a fun game, while the lessons learned are ready to take away to the real world.

Do you have tales or tips related to the Dunning-Kruger Effect? Let's hear from you.

New Spelling Software Helps Young Minds Prep for Spelling Tests

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:16:00 +0000

SpellQuizzer: That's how you spell the new spelling software that 
makes it fun and fast for parents, kids and teachers to team up for 
better scores on spelling tests.


Designed by a parent to help his own child excel at spelling, this 
educational software by TedCo turns spelling drills from a chore 
to a fun computer activity.


I wish this software had been around when my kids were young. I would 
have paid far more than the $29.95 price of this software to help them 
spell well and to hear less whining about spelling homework. Here's a 
free trial of this Windows spelling test software.

Game Show Prize Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:07:00 +0000

You don't have to roll out new cars and luxury vacations to motivate people with prizes for your training or classroom game show. Many trainers and educators find a great way to hit the sweet spot of motivation is with candy as a prize.

Recently we spoke to a college professor who adds a clever twist to this idea with money-theme candy as the prizes. Top score gets the "100 Grand" bar. Other top performers might get a"Pay Day". And the "Zero" bar makes an amusing consolation prize.

Candy Favorites.com has one-stop shopping for money-theme candies, including the candy bars mentioned above plus chocolate coins, money lollipops, and a Fort Knox stamped "gold bar" tin filled with chocolate coins.

Quizzes as Trade Show Booth Attractions

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 02:23:00 +0000

If your organization exhibits at trade shows, fairs or events, here's an article at the trade-show-advisor.com about the use of quizzes as an attraction. There's a special Exhibitor's Bundle of Game Show Presenter that caters to the exhibitor's needs. It has been used at trade shows large and small, as well as in state fairs, visitors' centers and corporate events.

Case Studies and User Stories Added

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:13:00 +0000

A police trainer, a music educator and a teaching intern are the first three articles in our new web pages of case studies and user stories. More to come soon. If you'd like to share a story about your use of our training games, please contact us.

How to Hold the Attention of an Orientation Audience

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 23:16:00 +0000

Orientation... does it have to be a group nap? How can an educator or HR professional keep people attentive through the dry details of a typical orientation session for new students and workers?

One solution is to use Game Show Presenter to motivate attention and reinforce key points in a fun format. Deborah Kell and Barbara Behrens of Mercer County Community College reported their experiences using Game Show Presenter for an orientation "that has them laughing, paying attention, and learning."

The two community college educators demonstrated the software in the session, "Orientation for Online Students: Fun and Games that Work!" in Nov. at the Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning.

Humor Good for Business (and Training)

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:55:00 +0000

Researchers at the University of Missouri's College of Business have confirmed what many of our customers already knew -- humor helps in the workplace.

Chris Robert, assistant professor of management in MU’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business, said that humor – particularly joking around about things associated with the job – actually has a positive impact in the workplace. Occasional humor among colleagues, he said, enhances creativity, department cohesiveness and overall performance.

Here at Bodine Training Games, our software helps trainers, educators and presenters add humor to their training reviews and presentations. The Game Show Presenter software is already known for amusing trainees and students with its simulated TV game show. But that's just the beginning. Trainers and presenters can easily expand on this humorous platform to bring humor to their specific subject matter. Here's how:

When you are writing a multiple-choice quiz question, make one of the choices absurd. This helps keep the review process from becoming tedious and relieves stress. Since the quiz editor in our software allows up to 5 possible answers to a question, you can inject humor into questions and still have plenty of room to present the real choices. Using this technique, you can write a quiz in which people will look forward to each question!

The MU study's conclusion was made by examining theories on humor and integrating literature from a wide variety of disciplines that touch on the subject. Several hundred sources were analyzed.

“Humor has a significant impact in organizations,” said Robert, who also teaches psychology in MU’s College of Arts and Science. “We argue that humor is pretty important."

New name: gamesfortraining.com

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:11:00 +0000

This blog now has an easy to remember web address: www.gamesfortraining.com. We will continue to focus on products and ideas that make it fun to pay attention to training, education and presentations. Please spread the word about gamesfortraining.com!

Game Show PLUS for Mac OSX

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 19:52:00 +0000

The popular PLUS Edition of Game Show Presenter is now available for Mac OSX computers. This works on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. See www.gameshowplus.com for the trial version and other details.

Motivating People with Special Needs

noreply@blogger.com (Bodine Training Games) — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:07:00 +0000

The motivational power of games for children and adults with special needs will be explored at the Closing the Gap conference on assistive technology in October, 2007. The session "It's All in the Game: Motivating Kids and Adolescents" will include a demonstration of Game Show PLUS software. The session will be Oct. 18, 2007, 2-4:30 p.m. in Minneapolis, MN. Conference registration required to attend.