3 Game Show Host Goof-Ups

Being a game show host can be an incredibly fun way to interact with your trainees, or get your name out within a company (volunteering to host a large-scale game at an event, for instance). However, hosting isn't always an easy feat. Here are a few ways in which we see game show hosts go wrong:

1. Not Knowing the Rules: This seems like a basic thing, but a host being unclear on the finer points of the game show rules can lead to a chaotic or less-than-ideal experience for the game show participants. This is especially true as you customize your game show and add multiple rounds with multipliers (i.e. points are doubled!) or rule variations.

2. Getting Down on Wrong Answers: Nothing is more discouraging than being in a learning game situation and being mocked or ridiculed (no matter how gently) for putting yourself out there and answering a question. Most trainers have a good sense of appropriate feedback, but sometimes an outside-the-training-department host won't have a similar taste for protocol.

3. Not Encouraging Teams: If a game is set up cleverly, there's always a chance for a team that is behind to catch up--be it in a wager round, bonus points, etc. However, it can be easy for a team to forget this when they see such a glaring disparity in scores. It's the host's job to remind the teams of the stakes and preview rounds where they may have a good chance to catch up.

The Top 5 Reasons to Use AllPlay Web!

The Top 5 Reasons to use AllPlay Web in your Webinar

1. Adults need to be re-engaged every 5-7 minutes.
2. Competition captivates and motivates learners.
3. Team play builds camaraderie and fosters networking--even in the virtual space.
4. Specific, measured interactions makes attendees accountable for their attention.
5. Game formats have been proven to increase content retention and comprehension.

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5 Game Show Myths that Simply aren’t True

Simply saying “Game Show” can evoke a strong reaction in your training classroom—or amongst peers and superiors. Because everyone has experience with game shows in some form, everyone comes to the classroom with their own vision of what a “game show” should be like. Unfortunately, a lot of the time this vision doesn’t compliment training, and leads people away from using game shows in a training situation. Fortunately, the most common “myths” or misconceptions associated with using game shows can be easily corrected.

Myth #1: Game Shows Wouldn’t Appeal to my Trainees.

Truth: So your trainees are serious. They’re white-collar executives, they’re blue-collar miners, they’re doctors, they’re temps, etc. That definitely doesn’t mean that they won’t like game shows. Game shows provide an opportunity for your trainees to express their knowledge, compete, socialize and take a break from the ordinary. We’ve seen a lot of groups that no one would have pegged for “game show contestants” really get into the game show. This is because game shows aren’t just a novelty—they appeal to the fun side of everyone—no matter how “serious” or “technical” the person.

Myth #2: Game Shows Won’t Work for my Subject.

Truth: Game shows work with almost any subject you can train. Game shows can be adapted to fit both fact-based and brainstorming content, as well as both hard and soft skills training. We’ve seen trainers use game shows for everything from (literally) rocket science to harassment training. Game shows can help you facilitate complex subjects by breaking them down into smaller “chunks” within the game show, and can aid in discussion of “sensitive” topics by breaking down barriers and allowing everyone to relax.

Myth #3: Game Shows Take Too Much Time to Create.

Truth: Initially the act of creating a game show can take up to a few hours. However, software (like Gameshow Pro) can make this process quicker by giving you templates with which to create your game. Once you’ve created a game or two, creation becomes faster. You may also “refresh” an already-created game by adding in new questions, adding a few extra elements to a question, or simply rearranging the question order. Gameshow Pro version 4’s Question Library allows you to drag-and-drop questions into a game show, meaning that creating a game can literally take as few as 5 minutes.

Myth #4: I Don’t Have Time for a Game Show in My Training.

Truth: Most trainers do some kind of content review—so why not make that review more effective? Your training is too important NOT to be remembered. Use the time when you would normally do an oral review to do a 5-15 minute game show. (In fact, when compared to oral reviews, game shows increase exam scores by over 60%.) Game shows don’t have to be long to be effective either. If you have 3-5 minutes, insert a few questions from the game show to review and perk up your trainees. You can either have the short segments stand alone, or you can add up the teams’ points from all the “mini” rounds to get a final score at the end of the training session.

Myth #5: We Just Can’t DO that Kind of Thing Here.

Truth: We’ve been taught that training is serious business. That’s absolutely true and it’s also why it’s so important to deliver training in a memorable way—even if the way in question is a bit unconventional. Game shows don’t have to be tacky, loud or over-the-top—they can be tailored to fit your company’s culture. Sometimes doing little things like changing the game’s name to “Review Activity” can change the perception of the game show within the company. Game shows don’t “fit” only a particular brand of training, they can be modified to fit YOUR training.

Bonus 6th Myth: I Can’t Be a Game Show Host.

Truth: As a trainer, you’re already the face of your company or department. You’re delivering content, ensuring compliance, and putting yourself “out there” every day, even if you’re not physically in front of trainees. Almost anyone can be an effective game show host whether they’re more introverted or more extroverted. The key is to play to your own style. If you’re not a flamboyant person then that’s not going to be the hosting style for you. If you REALLY don’t want to host the game show, you can create a game show and have one of your peers host, or you can even get trainees to take turns hosting questions and you can contribute training content as needed.

Tips for Using Online Games

In honor of our newest product, QuizPoint, we’re dedicating this issue of Espresso to using online games.

Online games can be a great way to unite learners from different locations and globalize your training classroom. So without further adieu, the top 5 tips for using online games:

1. Use Teams.
Playing a game online can be a largely individual experience. Regardless of location, group trainees into teams. This will give them the experience of playing as a competitive unit, and learning with their peers despite the relative isolation of online. Teams can compete against each other to get the highest collective scores. And speaking of scores…

2. Display Scores.
Have a continually updating leaderboard (displayed before or after the game—or both!) that shows which trainees or teams lead the group in highest scores. Trainees can check this scoreboard as frequently as they wish to see if they’re still at the head of the class. This keeps the spirit of competition alive, and engages trainees in the game. Trainers may choose to give prizes for the top ranking players.

3. Retake tests for mastery.
Consider allowing trainees to re-take quizzes or games online. This allows them to master the material at hand and continually improve their scores. Plus, it allows them to pick up questions that they missed, and reinforces questions that they already answered correctly. If you decide not to let trainees re-take the tests, be sure to review questions after the game. Trainees need to know why they got a question wrong, particularly in an online format.

4. Make use of tracking features.
Many online game and quiz programs feature Learning Management Systems (LMS) that provide detailed trainee results. These allow a trainer to see which questions were consistently missed, which trainees had the best scores, and in which areas the entire class (or particular persons) need further instruction. These features can be immensely helpful both with the current trainees and in designing or revamping the next training course.

5. Utilize the online component and links.
Incorporate media and links into your game show. After players answer a question, it’s a great time to direct them to additional resources or information. You can link to online PDFs, pictures, video clips, the company website, etc. Some programs also allow you to input your own sounds and pictures offline as well. This changes an online game show from a review activity or a fun competition into a truly involved and interactive learning experience.

Bonus: Use online game shows for fun.
Online games don’t always have to be intrinsically linked with your training content. Since they’re such a good way to unite people in different locations (and even countries), use a “fun” game with company trivia for a team building activity. Games and quizzes can also be used to address cultural considerations and build awareness for traveling employees.

Another bonus: Try out QuizPoint for free for 30 days. Visit this link to download a trial version of the new online game and quiz creator software.

The Top 5 Ways to Increase Assessment Scores Using Game Shows.

Game shows are a fun addition to a training session. There’s no doubt that they increase trainee engagement, excitement and the energy level in any session. But let’s get down to brass tacks here—having fun for fun’s sake isn’t enough. Game shows have been proven to increase trainees’ assessment scores and content retention on job-critical evaluations. Here are some tips to ensure that you get real results from your game show.

1. Use Game Shows to Review Information.
To review your content, play a game show at the end of each content module. Let trainees know beforehand that they’ll be playing a game show, and highlight which pieces of information might show up in that game show later. Before an exam, create a game show with questions from all different content areas to both energize your trainees, and refresh their memories. Word the questions in your game show in the way they will be asked on a evaluation to prepare trainees for the exam format. Try Categories for quick fact-based reviews.

2. Add Additional Information and Multimedia.
Add multimedia to your game show to enhance and add information. Giving trainees a picture, sound or video clip to associate with a piece of information will help them recall facts when it comes to evaluation time. Trainees’ attention is at its peak directly after a question has been answered—they’re curious about the topic and ready to hear more. Make sure to use this time to add additional information, expand on your material, clarify a point, or clear up any misconceptions or misunderstandings.

3. Make a Game Show “Open Book”.
Use the game show to give your trainees a starting point for their own practice or home studying. Familiarize trainees with their manuals, books, catalogs and other training materials by allowing them to use them during the game show. This type of game show is less about knowing facts, and more about finding answers quickly and reinforcing the places in training materials where trainees should look to review content.

4. Focus on the Material.
Quick fact-based reviews are great right before an evaluation when trainees have done most of their own review. However, to reinforce and uncover knowledge gaps you’ll want to play a slower-paced game that allows trainees to discuss and focus on material for an extended period of time. Short-answer and role-play questions in a Tic-Tac-Toe or Knowledge Bowl allow you to foster discussions and brainstorming around a topic. Trainees will also gather an understanding of what they don’t know, or need to focus on in their own time.

5. Play in Teams.
Use the power of peer learning to help trainees gather information that they’re missing and share their own knowledge with their peers. Playing in teams instead of as individual contestants allows trainees to discuss answers and focus on content without feeling singled out. A game show is a great complement to work review groups as well—a few trainees can play a game show on their own instead of in a large group.

Bonus Tip: Ease text anxiety. Play a quick-fire review game immediately before taking an examination. This shows trainees how much of the content the actually DO know—relieving some fears--and brings the information to the front of their thinking. This is particularly beneficial in job-critical tests where high stakes can lead to high anxiety.

Additional Resources:
We have a great network of trainers that advise and give feedback on using game shows in their training. Here is an independent study sent in by Candace Armstrong—a Trainer and user of LearningWare’s Gameshow Pro:

Candace took several groups of trainees and divided them into two categories: Trainees who would review for a critical exam with Gameshow Pro, and those who would review without Gameshow Pro. Candace conducted a review for both groups. She used the same questions, worded in the same way—the variable factor was putting the questions into a Gameshow Pro game, or reading them orally.

The results? 63% more people passed the exam reviewing with Gameshow Pro, the passing scores in this group was also higher-as were the overall scores.
"Playing the game really makes a difference," says Candace, "I have had many students tell me after the exam that they would never have passed without playing the review game. They could even remember who answered what question and whether or not they answered it correctly."

5 Ways to Use Game Shows Outside Your Training Classroom

Game shows are effective training tools inside your classroom, but they’re also extremely versatile. We’re always amazed at the new ways trainers find to use Gameshow Pro (and other game show products) in their businesses—and even their daily lives. Game shows aren’t just for entertainment anymore—but they’re also not JUST for training in the classroom!

1. Large Events
Game shows are a wonderful, “show stopping” element in a large event (like a large annual sales or training meeting). Use a game show after keynote speakers/presenters to both perk-up the audience and cement the presentation content in their heads, preparing them for what they’ll hear next. We’ve done large events where we’ve had a game show running throughout the day (or multiple days). The element of competition keeps audience members engaged, and being divided into teams to play the game show prevents them from getting lost in a sea of attendees. Game shows are also fantastic as a stand-alone element within a presentation or as part of a breakout session.

2. On the Web
If you frequent our site, you’ll notice our webinars. We use game shows in webinars to keep attendees engaged and to review webinar content. (In fact, if you’d like to see an example of game shows being used in this way, sign up for a webinar!) If your company does online training, using a game show over the web can have the same positive effect as using a game show in your training classroom—engaging all participants, increasing content retention, and motivating trainees to pay attention to the rest of the training. Game shows can also be used in a sales webinar for your company’s product to review benefits and features or to recap the sales presentation in a unique and inventive way that your customers are sure to remember.

3. Co-worker Gatherings
We’ve had customers send us their stories about using game shows for everything from annual corporate retreats and company holiday parties, to employee orientations and fundraisers. Game shows can be an opportunity to let your company shine by incorporating company information into a just-for-fun game show. Your employees learn more about the company and get to network and interact with their peers all in a low-pressure game show environment. A game show is the hit of a party, and it’s a fast and easy way to create an entertaining event.

4. Sales Presentations
Put a game show in your sales personnel’s toolkit and they’re ready to sell in a way that is unlike anything else your customers will have seen. You can do a little bit of research on a client and create a game show around their company to break the ice. You can also use a Classroom Feud-type game to create curiosity and a sense of need around your product. For example, if you were selling printers, you could have customers answer the question: “What are the top 5 complaints that most companies have with their printing service?” This can lead into a benefits-selling strategy for your salesperson based on how the clients have answered the question.

5. Family Events
As long as you’re already familiar with game shows, you can take them outside the corporate world and into your family events (including reunions, weddings, baby showers, etc.). For instance, a colleague of ours was getting married. He wanted a unique way to engage guests at his wedding reception so they would have fun and learn more about the happy couple. In each invitation to the wedding, he and his bride-to-be included a survey with questions like: Where do most couples meet, how long are couples together before they get married, etc. They compiled all the responses they received and put them into a Classroom Feud game show. Guests had to guess the top answers from all the questions. At the reception the bride’s family was pitted against the groom’s family, and the game show was played without a hitch and with only minimal cheating on the groom’s side.

Bonus Use: Almost anything.
You’ll find that when you start using game shows, you’ll love them so much that you’ll be able to find uses for them anywhere. We had one trainer who had his class build game shows to sharpen their computer skills (importing and exporting graphics, files, pictures, sounds, etc.). At the end of the course, they had a game show that they could use in their OWN training class with their own content. You can also have your trainees build games to use with the other trainees in the same class—further emphasizing the training content.