Page 33 - Ideas

records the results of the game and he uses this feature to
engage students in discussions about issues such as the
number of errors they had made, thus helping them to
“learn about themselves a little bit”.

Simulating the experience of being a researcher within a
specific and concrete context enables instructors to bring
across research concepts more easily and in a way that
strengthens students’ ability to interpret and translate
them across to other settings. As William notes, “The
instructor will be able to bring more students onto the
same page and move them forward as a team. It also
options of different products, students also realise that makes teaching fun.”
when the effect size of a certain product is small, they
would need a larger sample to detect it, thereby learning Although there are many advantages that can be attained
about the implications of effect sizes. from creating innovative pedagogical tools, this decision is
not without its risks. One such risk is the uncertainty about
These two teaching tools offered William considerably
more options on how to plan and teach his lessons on
power, sample sizes and effect sizes. For instance, he
could use both the star-searching game and Stars Café
together to reinforce learning the concepts and
strengthen the effects of the games. Alternatively, he
could opt to focus and elaborate on Stars Café if he finds
that students are able to understand the game easily.

Benefits and challenges

Stars Café allows students to play repeatedly in their own
time, learn from their mistakes and improve their

decision-making skills. William explained that the system