THE USE OF GAMES AND INSTANT GRATIFICATION IN EXAM REVIEW SESSIONS

Review sessions for exams are often scheduled for the evening before the exam, and few students show up. Scheduling a class period for review can be a waste of class time if students are told that it will be their opportunity to ask questions, yet few students show up prepared with questions. Providing students with a list of review questions is an easy, but static, alternative. A more dynamic alternative is to schedule a class period for review and ask questions of the class in the form of a game, with correct responses immediately rewarded with a treat from the Instant Gratification Bag. Three examples of games will be presented. Using games and the Instant Gratification Bag has improved student preparation and increased attendance and class participation, with corresponding improvements in exam scores and course evaluations.