Classroom games in INFORMS Transactions on Education Jeroen Belien, KU Leuven (Belgium) Editor-in-Chief

ITE Puzzles vs. ITE Classroom Games Classroom game – No textual assignment, but: Game format (board game, role playing game, etc.) A set of game rules – Multiple rounds – Multiplayer – Possibly several good game strategies – E.g., the Poker Chip game – Game ITE paper format Puzzle – Short, textual assignment (often supported by a figure) – Single round – Single player – One optimal solution – E.g., Sudoku – Simple ITE Format

ITE Classroom Games Format Two game components: Game Article Instructors only material – Teaching note – Files, solutions, etc.

Game Components: Game Article Audience: Instructors looking for teaching games Overview of the game Literature review Pedagogical objectives Classroom experience: – How game has been used in a learning experience, and with what students – Level and experience of student for which game is appropriate or adaptable – Overview of how game might be adapted for various student groups – Game evaluation

Game Evaluation Students’ informal feedback (quotes) Students’ formal feedback (e.g., anonymous questionnaire) Comparing students’ formal feedback before and after the game Comparing students’ knowledge before and after the game Experiment: – Comparing students’ formal feedback group A (game) vs. group B (no game) – Comparing students’ knowledge group A (game) vs. group B (no game) Stronger evidence of game effectiveness

Game Components: Instructors Only Material Audience: Instructors who are using the case Password protected, released only to verifiable instructors Guidance for instructors using the game, based on classroom experience Game analysis, supporting models and files Suggestions on adapting to various student audiences Anything YOU would want to know if using someone else’s game!

Review Process Similar to other ITE submissions—two referees Review focuses on game article and instructor only material Game has been classroom tested, so only minor editorial changes Game article is reviewed for – Originality of the game – Attractiveness of the game (gameplay) – Clarity of game description – Pedagogical objectives – Evidence of classroom testing – Flexibility of student audience and classroom context Instructor only material reviewed for – Completeness and correctness of analysis – Guidance on adapting to various student audiences and classroom contexts

Tips for writing articles for ITE Your target audience is OR/MS/analytics instructors They want to know how relevant the topic that you are writing about is for them: – What kind of students do you teach? (business/engineering/math/…, UG/MBA/MS/…) – In what course(s)? – What have your students learned already? – How often have you used what you are writing about? – How well did it work? What lessons did you learn?

Tips for writing articles for ITE You need a literature review – The relevant papers to cite will probably be from education journals Read a few ITE papers before you start writing one yourself