Contemporary teaching strategies in our country have become a trend for a considerable number of teachers, particularly those of the young age. New teaching strategies that are being implemented at the Faculty of Education, which is the institution that prepares future teachers, are applied through different techniques that make teaching more attractive and more successful. However, there are still teachers who think that including games in teaching is a waste of time which distract students from learning the theoretical part of the lesson sufficiently.

1. Arlinda Beka
Faculty of Education, University of Prishtina-Kosovo
PhD student, University of Tirana-Albania
arlinda.beka@uni-pr.edu, arlinda.beka@gmail.com,
24 Jun 2013

2.  Contemporary teaching strategies in our country have become a
trend.
 New teaching strategies make the teaching more attractive and more
successful.
 There are still teachers who consider that including games in the
teaching process is waste of time (distract students).

3.  The importance of games integration into the course
syllabus, their implementation into the classroom and the
impact of games into developing knowledge among students

4.  Two different groups of students (60 students)
that I have worked with for one semester.
◦ With one group using contemporary teaching strategies,
including games as part of the teaching.
◦ With the second group I have worked by using
contemporary teaching strategies, without including
games as part of the teaching
This paper research has been done to see what will
be the outcome of gained knowledge among those
two groups. Which of the groups had higher
achievements at the end of the semester?

5.  Research has been a quasi experiment with two
groups; experimental group and control group,
developed for a period of 15 working weeks.
 The main question of the research was:
How much the application of games in teaching
process does influences the students’
achievement?
 Key words: Teaching, syllabus, games, studying,
etc.

6.  Contemporary teaching strategies
 Theory
 Assignments
 Evaluation test
 Applying different games (Computer games,
quizzes, role games, rhythmic games)

7.  I used the interactive form of teaching
 Theory
 Assignments
 Evaluation test
 I didn’t offer any kind of game during the
teaching activities

8. The topics had the same content
Prepared materials
Assignments
Time
Evaluation test
•The topics had the same
content
•Prepared materials
•Assignments
•Time/Duration (3 hours of
lectures)
•Breaks
•In the start st where ready
•Concentrated
•Interaction
•Evaluation test

9.  First part (45 min): Theory information
 Break 10 min
 Second part (45 min): Games that where appropriate with the
topic (15-30 min).
 Break 10 min
 Third part (45 min): Reflections, assignments, presentations.
 Student was directly involved with a particular role or
assignment.
 None of the students of this group where annoyed or bored

10.  Helped each-other with information
 Sharing their experiences
 Express different feelings
 They where persistent in achieving results
 Had endless fun
 They were ready to start reflecting about the activity and the
topic
 Cooperative atmosphere
 With creative critical and tolerant discussions over the issues
 Remembered the information
 Working together as a team in a very positive spirit

11.  First part (45 min): Theory information
 Break 10 min
 Second part (45 min): Discussion and feedback from
students, analyzing the topic and information, discussed in a
smaller groups.
 Break 10 min
 Third part (45 min): Reflections, assignments, presentations

12.  Analyzing of those matters wasn’t easy
 They debated a lot but were unable to create
their attitudes
 Students felt tired
 Lack of concentration
 Lack of team spirit
 Lack of the analyzes and creativity

13. Experimental
Control
Was not
stressful
Very
stressful

14.  “During the classes apart from things we have learn
we had a great fun.”
 “We always looked for the next class as we never
felt tired even though we had 3 hours of class each
week.”
 “Games help me not to feel annoyed”.
 “Games have helped me to remember things
better”.
 ”When I’ve entered the exam I considered I am at
regular class and oriented myself like we will have a
great game at the end.”
 “I have learned a lot of good thing even thought my
mind was at the games we would play”, etc.

15.  “We had many assignment and they made us tired”. I could
bear the worthless comments from my colleagues and this
has de motivated me to learn.”
 “I had headache during the class and I lost my
concentration”.
 “We had no good cooperation as a group; therefore we
couldn’t achieve good results.”
 “I liked the interactivity and discussions during the class but I
don’t know why I felt fatigue during the assignments part.”
 “We didn’t motivate on-another that’s why we had not good
results”. “I wished I was at the first group as they had a lot of
games that have helped them to have great results, while we
had many assignments”, etc.

16.  Based upon the researches and facts the game is an
inexhaustible source of pleasure for humans.
 It helps burning the excessive energy
 Creating a working habit
 Concentration,
 Refreshes the souls and mind
 Inspires logical, creative and critical thinking
 Motivates the person to achieve better results
 Helps creating skills for team work

17.  Therefore application of games in a teaching and learning
process is very necessary to be applied not just at the lower
schools but also with students of the university level.
 … “We also believe that as teachers there are times when telling and
showing are appropriate, however, students, are most empowered
when they are involved.”
(Griffing & Butler. 2005).

18.  Barkley F. Elizabeth (2010), Student Engagment Techniques- Handbook for College
Faculty. Jossey Bass, San Francisco, USA.
 2. Freitas De Sara, Ott Michela, Popescu Magdalena, Stanescu Ioana (2013), New
Pedagogical Approaches in Game Enhanced Learning: Curriculum Integration, IGI Global,
USA.
 3. Griffing L. Linda & Butler I. Joy (ed) (2005), Teaching games for understanding – theory,
research and practice. Human kinetics, USA.