The game characters.
What is it.
This is the educational board game MonsterStop! It helps turn routine into adventure.
The set consists of a playing field, figurines representing main and secondary characters, tokens to be used in specific interactions, cards with rules and the set of learning tasks, which changes from session to session. Originally. the game was designed to be used with children and teenagers, however proved to be a good tool to spice up adult learning, too.
How to play.
The gameplay is built around a chase through a town, when one character tries to intercept another. The players can use various game resources, in order to “buy” which they have to do the learning tasks. The learning tasks are prepared by the teacher and presented on cards, printed in lists, etc. The tasks don’t have to be particularly exciting. The game will provide the thrill.
The field, characters, tokens and cards.
Teachers play the game at St Petersburg university.
Promote curiosity, boost confidence.
Winning in the game depends on knowledge of the subject matter, ability to do the tasks or solve problems, and also on the gameplay strategies that a student employs. The purpose of this is to create a positive motivation for a student to try and do a task which otherwise might seem repellingly difficult, and also to help students overcome reluctance for doing long series of similar tasks, which sometimes may be necessary in training a skills.
The life of the game.
I have extensively used this game with my private students, presented it in the “Contest of Edicational Innovations” in Moscow, in 2016, ran public game sessions at various open educational events in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Also, the game was used, with positive feedback, in a school for children with special educational needs in Vilnus, Lithuania. The teachers noticed that the game let many unexpected talents shine.
The session at a school in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The playing field.
