A "Token" Gesture

By Beth Sunny
Posted Friday, December 3, 2004

To reinforce training, get a little friendly competition going in your class. A token game can be just the ticket for perking up students, and reviewing material at the same time.

When you're trying to reinforce training, games often come in handy. Many people are competitive, and so games that spur competition are more fun for them. You can make a competitive game that is simple but effective. You will need tokens of some sort and a stack of quiz questions. You'll also need prizes to give away at the end of class. Some prize ideas include: chocolate kisses, erasers, colored paperclips, bubbles, a yo-yo, candy bars, or gift certificates. (TIP: Make sure that whatever you select to use for tokens is not something students could easily buy. Believe it or not, some have been known to hit the local store during break to buy tokens in order to win!)

Throughout your class, stop after each topic or idea and shout out a quiz question. The first person to give you the right answer wins a token. Sometimes you will get two right answers. It is okay to reward them both. The person with the most tokens at the end of class wins a prize. (Shhh! Don't tell them what the prize is. Offering a "mystery" prize can also be a motivator.) You can offer prizes to others as well. At the end of class, make time for a mini-celebration. Award the best prize to the student that won the most tokens, and award a prize to the person that got the least. You may even have a prize for the most interesting answer. The point is to engage the students and keep them participating.

About the Author
Beth Sunny is a writer, publisher, and computer trainer. She owns Software Training Resources (STR), a courseware company known for their "QuickSteps to Learning" training manuals. STR launched an exciting web site in January of 2001. The web site is specifically for the Computer Training Industry - (http://www.sharpertraining.com). The site offers a place for individuals in the Computer Training Industry a place to advertise their business, correspond with others in the industry, find training products, and discover software tips and read great articles relating to computer training. Visit the site today! (http://www.sharpertraining.com)