We knew the kids would like it, but I was curious to see how the other 3 presenters liked it as a way to deliver information. I was curious to know if they felt it was effective, especially since they rarely present or teach in the classroom.

1. Using a game to orient students on an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) Recently, I was asked to participate in an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) orientation session for 1000+ High School students. There were four of us involved in the training sessions, and we would be working in groups of 2. The purpose of the training was to orientate the students and staff, on basic uses and applications of an AED. We realized the importance of training the staff at the school on the use of an AED, but we also wanted to make sure every student and staff member knew how simple they are to use, and where they are located in the school. My task, was to help them come up with the outline and questions, (I have trained on AEDs for over 18 years, and have placed AEDs in 100s of locations, including schools and businesses). I didn’t want to be the lead presenter; I wanted to help them develop the comfort level so they could do this on their own. I was most interested in seeing this content delivered as a game and observing them using this game as a teaching tool. The average session would have 25 students in attendance, and would run for 20 minutes. We would start out each session with a quick demo of the AED, and pick a “volunteer,” to come up and use the AED (with no prompting on how to use it). This, we felt, would illustrate the simplicity of the device. Once the demonstration was over, we would use a 6 question game along with Audience Response Pads (each student and teacher would get one) as a quick assessment. We used the game as a way to deliver the content and information we wanted to cover. Just before the first question, for example, we had a slide emphasizing that this was an orientation session, and encouraged people to take a CPR and AED class. The first question, a poll question based of the AED demo, asked attendees, “how many people feel comfortable using the AED?” As we continued through the game, we used game questions to guide the presentation of our content. The questions, along with the Audience Response Pads, allowed us to see what the class knew. By understanding what the audience knew, we could then build on their responses. In fact, the incorrect answers really helped the instructors deliver the content more effectively. For example, one question asked, “What is the biggest mistake you can make using an AED?” The answers where all over the place, but this allowed the instructors to address each response and to clarify common misconceptions. The Response: We knew the kids would like it, but I was curious to see how the other 3 presenters liked it as a way to deliver information. I was curious to know if they felt it was effective, especially since they rarely present or teach in the classroom. They loved it. They found that the game helped them feel more comfortable, especially since the game was the focal point and not them. Sure, we could have presented the information in PowerPoint, but all of us felt it would not have been as effective as the game was. The game made the training process more enjoyable for all those involved. To play the game we used during this training session, click here: www.c3softworks.com/games/east_ridge_hs_AED/play.html Notice how teaching points have been added throughout the game.