In my pursuit of the perfect lesson plan in upper-division Spanish literature courses, I have discovered that the game show approach works quite effectively to get students actively involved in the learning process. It is also an effective way to model teaching methods and techniques that future teachers can later employ in their own classes.

I simply incorporate the rules of game shows into the presentation of the material and have the students act as contestants. I should warn you that this requires a tremendous amount of preparatory work, but the positive results justify the trouble. Students are generally familiar with the rules of the most popular game shows. Because they function as contestants in the classroom and actually win something in the end (bonus points on the test or points for their team), students are enthusiastically caught up in the lesson. I write the questions, so I have complete control over the intellectual content of the class period. Former students who have gone into teaching have repeatedly informed me that they now successfully employ this method in their classes at the high school level.

Two game shows I often replicate in class are Family Feud and Jeopardy. When we play Family Feud,I write the title of my list of questions on the board, and underneath the number of responses that are possible. For example: "Ten symbols that are repeated throughout the novel," or "The five major themes of this novel," or "Twelve aspects that make this novel typical of the Realist movement." I then write the correct responses on the board as they are provided by the students in the course of the game. The class is divided into "families" that play against each other. Each family is assigned the last name of one member of the group. The small size of the families affords quieter members a chance to become more actively involved in the activity.

When we play Jeopardy in the class, I write categories such as "Characters," "Themes," "Symbols," "Literary Terms," or "Literary Movements" on the board, then the numbers one through five underneath each category. Jeopardy requires even more preparation than Family Feud,since I must make sure the questions under each category become increasingly difficult. Teams will receive one point for answering question one correctly, but five points for answering question five correctly, so the complexity of the questions must correspond with the point differential. The class must work its way through each category, beginning with number one. (I erase the numbers once the corresponding question is answered.) The answers, of course, must be in the form of a question, so that if I said, "This character is the anti-hero in the novel," the students would have to respond, "Who is (the name of the character)?"

The most notable success of the game show method has been with the typically poor performers on tests. Because they have had the material organized for them in a way that is easier to absorb, and because they enjoy working with the material via the game format, they can more readily provide the required information on the exam. Another bonus is that students are less likely to skip class when they know that class time will be fun and beneficial, since the questions used during the game give them an opportunity to see what the instructor considers important. My student evaluations in the classes in which I use dynamic exercises like these games are invariably favorable.

I am quite certain that the game show method can be applied to almost any subject matter. I have yet to incorporate some of the more recent game shows into my lesson plans, but I am sure that with a little imagination, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? can be adapted to the classroom setting quite ingeniously. That will be my next project. Another game format that works well in the classroom is Trivial Pursuit.

These are what I think are the important elements that make this work.

Here are some tips that I have found helpful in effectively using the game show method: Use games principally to review material at the end of a section. In my case, I find games most useful when we are finishing a novel, a particular author, or a specific literary movement. Games are also a good way to prepare the class for exams. Always have the students work in teams. This gives students the opportunity to teach each other within the group and guarantees that every student will earn at least one point in the game. If you choose to play games often in class, alternate group membership. This allows for greater interaction in the classroom. These games provide a wonderful opportunity to have students meet each other in a pleasurable way, which is not always easy on a commuter campus. When playing the game in class, make sure that every group and every student is given equal time in the game. Have a different student in the group respond during each round of the game until everyone in each group has had a chance to answer. I usually allow teammates to help each other when the questions are asked because it is important to avoid having the one know-it-all in the group answer every time. Use a clock and time responses. This makes it easier to ensure that each group receives the same amount of time to respond and helps to make certain you have enough time to cover everything you want to cover during that period. Be a good emcee, which means, maintain a healthy sense of humor, keep the game flowing the way you want, and have the "contestants" do most of the talking. Humor usually defuses conflicts that may occur if certain students become too competitive. Within the dynamics of the game, the instructor should function as a referee who makes sure the rules are being followed fairly and the game is rolling along at an appropriate speed. Time outs are sometimes required, especially for didactic purposes. The instructor should speak only to control the movement of the game, read the questions, and provide clarification if required. Students should always be the ones responding to the questions and talking out their answers. Even when it comes to clarifications, it is better to ask the class to clarify with appropriate questions on your part than to give mini-lectures between questions. Do not dumb-down your questions. Make sure your questions reflect what you really want the students to know about the subject. Base your questions on the reading material to be covered for that day. Always place the questions you consider most important at the beginning of the game to make sure the material will be covered. Explain terminology and interpret the answers as you go along to make sure everyone gets it. The point is not simply to entertain the class, but to make sure the students are learning what you want them to learn. Generally, I have found that the students pay very close attention to the answers when we are playing, even if it is not their team's turn to respond. Make sure your questions are as objective as possible and that the answers are as short as possible. Game show questions cannot be essay questions. The more subjective, creative responses to the material being studied can be brought out in the discussion between questions. Write more questions than you will need. You do not want to be caught short. Do not give the class the answer when a group responds incorrectly. Pass the question on to the next group until the question is answered correctly. This too makes students want to pay attention to each other's responses and makes participation, rather than passive absorption of information, the dominant mode. Recycle the questions you use in the games on your tests and quizzes. Since you must put a lot of work into the preparation of these games, you might as well take advantage of your efforts when it comes time to writing your exams. Moreover this helps to reinforce the material. Have fun! If the instructor is having fun, the students will be having fun too. If the students are having fun, the learning process will be facilitated and they will learn more. I have found this method to be most effective with students who have a difficult time organizing the material for study. Serious students may at first be reluctant to get silly, but as long as the questions are tough and related to the material, they too can get something out of the exercise. While having fun is crucially important, I have noticed that if I play games in class too often, all students begin to take class time a bit less seriously. The most severe problem I have had with this method has been with the emotional reactions of some students. Individuals who are hyper-competitive can get overly involved with scoring points rather than practicing the material. I have seen jealousies arise when there is a perception that I might be favoring one group over another. From these experiences I have learned that the rules have to be followed systematically and that it is good to refocus class attention on the subject matter when things start to heat up.