Using Me First Buzzers with Gameshow Pro
In this video, you’ll learn how to integrate and use the Me First Game Show Buzzers from Trainer’s Warehouse.
AllPlay Tips and Tricks
In this video, you’ll learn about AllPlay’s range of features including Speed Rounds, Raffle Rounds, Leader Boards, Survey Results and more.
When Good Trainees Go Bad: Using Game Show Penalties
Playing a game show is usually a hassle-free, smooth and pleasant affair. MOST of the time, trainees will be good sports, fair players and gracious winners (or losers). However, a small part of the time there are players who attempt to cheat, are bad sports, or break the game show rules. Imposing penalties can be a way to curb this behavior, encourage the correct behavior and keep the playing field even for those who aren’t cheating or breaking rules. As a trainer and game show host, it’s your job to maintain control of the room and you may decide to use or not to use penalties to do so. If you should decide to use penalties (and not all trainers do) here are some suggestions.
1. Deducting Points. The most obvious way to penalize a team for cheating is deducting a set amount of points for a defined behavior. For instance, if a team is caught looking at their materials, or getting outside help-50 points are deducted from their score. They may still be able to answer the question, (and get points if their answer is correct) however. Point deductions should not be arbitrary-a particular behavior should warrant a specific deduction, and this should be applied evenly for each infraction.
2. Reward the Non-Offending Team. Rewarding the teams that are not responsible for the offending behavior can be a very quick way to stop offending teams. A team may decide that 50 points from their score isn’t going to affect the outcome of the game-but they’ll balk at giving their competitors extra points or advantages in the game. You may also give a non-offending team an extra question (or “penalty shot”), or even an extra player (let the non-offending team pick a player from the offending team to come over to their side).
3. Losing a Turn. Taking a turn away from an offending team can go along with the previous penalty. It prevents the team from scoring points, but it can also give the non-offending team an advantage-an extra turn (if there are only two teams). Losing a turn can also entail having the offending team answer their question as per usual, but if they cheated to get that answer they simply don’t get points for a correct response.
4. Asking a Participant to Sit Out or Cool Down. Sometimes an offense is not team based, and individual response may be in order. If a particular player is being a bad sport or getting too rowdy, you may ask them to settle down (a warning) or to sit out for a designated number of game show questions. Penalizing a team for an individual’s behavior is a double edged sword-it can help teams to keep their players in line, but it can also discourage honestly-playing teammates.
5. Keeping Your Cool. When contestants are rowdy, cheating, etc., it’s not a reflection on their attitude towards the trainer or the training-they simply get carried away and want to win. Be firm and fair, but keep your cool and don’t take it personally. Remain good-natured about penalties and remember to continue to encourage a penalized team to keep them in the game. A little penalty isn’t going to prevent a team from winning, but if they feel that a trainer is “against” them, they may check out of the game altogether.
Bonus Tip: Giving Fair Warning. Be clear that there will be penalties for offending behavior before the game starts. Also define examples of behavior that will garner a penalty. This makes penalization during the game seem non-arbitrary and fair. Once you’ve established what will earn a penalty, be sure to enforce it consistently throughout the game. If desired, give each team one warning before enforcing a penalty.
Setting up the Room: The Theatrics of a Game Show
There are a lot of elements in a game show setup. When using software, you may have a computer, a projector, ring-in devices, other notes…not to mention your trainees. You have to make sure that the game can be played smoothly, playing contestants can participate with ease, and all audience members are in position to see the game show. Here are our top 5 tips for setting up your game show:
1. Make Sure Everyone has a Clear Line of Sight. One of the most important parts (if not THE most important part) of a training game show is conveying the information within the game. When setting up a room for a game, make sure that everyone will be able to see (and read) questions, answers, and media materials. Make sure pathways are clear of chairs if contestants are getting up to answer questions, and watch out for support beams, center islands, tables and podiums in the line of sight. If you’re dealing with a large room and a large group, you may want to consider using a projector system with game show software. You’ll also want to make sure that everyone can hear both the questions (as you read them) and the answers (as contestants give them). In a particularly large room, you may want to consider using a microphone for each playing team, and a microphone for the host.
2. Give Individual Participants a Separate Space. If only part of your audience is participating in a game show, separate the “players” from the rest of the audience. Having their own separate space will allow team members to be heard, and will also allow you to see who is ringing in (and ringing in first) to answer questions. Highlighting the playing members in a game show also gives a more authentic game show feel, and provides an entertaining experience for the audience. Something as simple as setting up two opposing tables in the front of the room where contestants can both see the screen and turn to face the audience is effective.
Test the Experience Beforehand. The only way to know how your game show will play out is to do a trial run.
3. Have Access to your Game Show. You’ll want to be in a position to access your game show technology-be it in the front of the room, or to the side. Some hosts choose to have a “helper” who walks through the game show logistically, leaving the host to walk around the room, interact with participants, and train apart from the computer or game board. Some trainers have found wireless keyboards and computer mice to be invaluable so they can walk around and control the game show at the same time.
4. Give Teams Opportunities to Collaborate. If the whole audience is playing along, set your teams up in rounds (round tables), or in a manner where they can easily turn to speak with each other. Providing opportunities for teams to discuss content and formulate answers allows for a more collaborative game show, and involves everyone-whether they’re answering for their team or not.
5. Scale Your Game Show to the Size of the Room and Audience. If you’re in a large room or auditorium, you’ll want to take different things into consideration than if you’re in a smaller room with a smaller audience. For instance, in a big room, think about encouraging the audience to seat themselves towards the front of the room. Also take into account provisions for amplifying game show sounds and enlarging the screen size. For a smaller room and a smaller group, you can play a software-based game show directly off of a laptop or a small projector, and the sound provided by the computer speakers will be adequate.
Bonus Tip: Test the Experience Beforehand. The only way to know how your game show will play out is to do a trial run. When running through the game show, try to have at least one practice session in the room you’ll be using. This allows you to pre-arrange the tables and chairs (if mobile), judge and account for any seating challenges, and take care of any technology issues that may arise when running the game show.
The Top 5 Question Writing Mistakes
The questions in a game show are incredibly important for obvious reasons; they convey the training content and they affect the flow and effectiveness of the game show. Written incorrectly, questions can be confusing and detract from the game show as a whole. The following are five of the most common question writing mistakes:
1. The question is too difficult or too easy. Questions should be difficult enough to challenge the contestants, but not so difficult that contestants have no chance of answering it. Those crickets-chirping moments after a too-difficult question slow the game down and can have a devastating effect on the momentum and energy generated by a game show. Questions that are too easy can be fun to play and used as a review, but they don’t challenge contestants to learn and demonstrate knowledge of the content. Have a peer or sample group of trainees review your questions before a game show to get a sense of their difficulty level.
2. The question has more than one answer. Outside of a Family Feud-style game, questions should ask for one clear, distinct answer (though the answer may have multiple parts). Having more than one correct answer available in a multiple-choice question (without the option to select both) can be a problematic and can adversely affect a smooth scoring process. Likewise, having only one correct answer possible in a short-answer question clears up confusion and prevents discrepancies. A lot of questions that have more than one possible answer can avoid this trap by clarifying the question itself.
Example:
What makes a leader?
This question would be great for brainstorming, but it’s hard to judge whether one given answer would be absolutely correct or incorrect. A lot of things could technically be a correct answer-but may not be the answer a trainer is looking for. A better question would ask, “According to the material we just covered, what is the 1st principle of leadership?”
Show your game show questions to a colleague or peer after you’re finished writing them. They’ll be able to tell you whether your question is difficult, long, unclear, or inaccurate.
3. The question is unclear. Contestants should concentrate on playing the game show-not on trying to decipher what the question means. If it’s unclear what the question is asking, the trainees will be unsure of what answer to give and may have a difficult time coming up with the designated correct answer. If the question itself is worded in a way that is confusing or grammatically suspect, it can throw a wrench in the smooth operation of the game. Make sure questions are clear and concise-both in wording and in communicating which answer they are looking for.
4. The question is inaccurate. Questions make a powerful impression on contestants-they’ll remember them long after the training session is through. As with anything, you make sure that your questions have correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. However, it’s doubly important to make sure that the facts are correct and the content is accurate. A question that is out-of-date or no longer relevant, or a question that is made inaccurate by a simple typing error (e.g., “Name the six wonders of the world,” when there are actually seven wonders) can be confusing to trainees and can also convey the wrong information.
5. The question is too long or wordy. Questions are best when they are simple, direct, easy-to-understand and relatively short. In most game shows, contestants have a limited amount of time to read a question and recall information. Questions that are long and wordy and have to be processed and figured out can eat into the time trainees are supposed to be spending formulating an answer. If a question must be long, try breaking it up into several parts-have an intro screen with the premise of the question or an introduction to the content, have a hint that further clarifies the question, and utilize info screens after the question for extra information.
Bonus Tip: Run questions by a peer to check for clarity and errors. It’s easy know training content so well that one doesn’t think about the questions and answers in a game show or see potential pitfalls. After formulating questions, we find the most helpful check-and-balance to be a fresh set of eyes. Show your game show questions to a colleague or peer after you’re finished writing them. They’ll be able to tell you whether your question is difficult, long, unclear, or inaccurate.
Our Most Common Game Show Modifications
Playing a TV game show exactly the way it’s played on TV would be great entertainment, no doubt. The truth is, however, that the rules of a TV game show won’t always work with your training session or the training goals you want to accomplish. You should feel free to change the rules to fit your purpose-in fact, whenever we play game shows, we make a few regular changes to enhance the effectiveness of the game show. Here are our most common rule changes:
1. Answering in a particular way is not necessary. We rarely require a team to answer in a particular format for the sake of complying with a game show format. For example, answering in the form of a question in a Categories (or Jeopardy!-style) game show is not necessary (but no points are deducted if the contestants choose to answer this way. Answering in the form of a question just adds one more level of complexity to the game show (and complexity of question writing) and it can be distracting. Likewise we accept either the full answer or the letter/number of the answer for a multiple choice question.
2. Control the amount of time that contestants have to READ a question. Some game shows allow teams to “ring in” to answer a question as soon as the question is displayed. This, however, tends to favor fast readers and encourages teams to ring in first, then read the question. We adjust the read timer to be manually controlled. As soon as we’re done reading the question, we start the timer. That way everyone has an equal opportunity to read and absorb the information BEFORE contestants are jumping up and down to ring in.
3. Contestants are allowed to “get help” from non-playing audience members and other team members. Instead of requiring a participant to answer a question alone, we encourage them to consult with their entire team. That way the whole team is participating, and the pressure is off the single trainee. We may encourage audience members to “shout out” the answer. This way everyone in the room remains engaged and the energy level remains high. It’s far more important for the entire room to get and hear the correct answer than for a single person to prove their knowledge.
4. Teams must answer a question in between extraneous game show elements. Game shows like Wheel of Fortune don’t always favor a training environment. In the TV versions, contestants are required to possess a great deal of luck and in addition knowledge. In games that feature these extraneous elements (like spinning the wheel) we require trainees to answer a question (even if it’s a relatively simple one) before each element. This ensures that the game show doesn’t overshadow the information at hand.
5. Scoring: Points increase, can change, and are flexible. We modify the scoring rules for almost every game show we play:
- We increase the point values between rounds so that teams that are behind have a chance to catch up.
- We increase point values within a round to correspond with the difficulty level of a question.
- We allow point increases for extra credit (I.e., we’ll throw a verbal follow-up question out to a team spontaneously) to increase the educational potential of the game.
- We may allow partial credit for half-right answers, or where there’s an answer dispute.
- We allow teams that are behind in points to participate in final rounds. For example-even if a team has a negative point value, they’re still given points to wager with in a Final Jeopardy!-style situation.
- We never make the penalty for answering incorrectly greater than the reward for a correct answer.
Bonus: All judges’ decisions are final. One rule that we ALWAYS add at the beginning of a game show is: All Judges’ Decisions are FINAL. We love using judges (and being judges) in our game shows. Judges can clear up point and answer disputes, and handle disruptions with ease. Judges are the enforcers of the rules (and may serve to remind your game show contestants of the rules). Judges can also add extra credit points and give half-credit for a question at their discretion. Who can be a judge? You can have a peer or a knowledgeable trainee judge-or you can be the judge yourself.
Setting Up Teams
In this video, Missy Covington recommends different ways to create teams.
Using Prizes in Your Game Show
We’ve always been of two minds whether or not to use prizes when playing a game show.
To Use Prizes: On one hand, most trainers we speak to like to give their trainees something for playing the game. There are several benefits to giving out prizes for your game show:
- Prizes contribute to the game show atmosphere
- Prizes increase competition, and motivate trainees to win
- Prizes can be compatible with your training content
- It’s nice to walk away with something after a training session-even if it’s something small
Not to Use Prizes: On the other hand, we don’t always give away prizes in our game shows. If we do give away prizes, we keep them very small and often frivolous or just-for-fun. This is because:
- We often want a more collaborative, and less competitive experience
- Big prizes can increase scrutiny of the answers, game and even the trainer/host
- Prizes can eclipse the purpose of the game show and/or the content you’re teaching if they’re too large
- Prizes are NOT typically necessary to motivate trainees to participate fully in a game show.
Prize Ideas: Silly or trivial prizes are perfectly okay in the context of a game show. We like to keep prizes fairly inexpensive and “invaluable”. Examples of prizes you can use are:
- Play money that cumulates throughout the game show
- Company “merchandise” (like pens, t-shirts, leftover trade-show swag, magnets, stickers, can coolers, etc.)
- Silly dollar-store toys (like rubber balls, pens, silly string, etc.)
- Books that support your content
- Certificates of achievement or faux diplomas
- Work incentives (like an extra lunch break, or getting to leave an hour early that day)
- Food/beverage gift certificates for $5 or less
Prize Tip: Give everyone a prize-particularly if some trainees didn’t have the opportunity to participate in the game show (even if these are smaller or “token” prizes). This way, no one feels they were purposefully left out, and everyone can walk away with something.
Remember: Never let the prizes eclipse the game show. If things are getting too competitive try your next game without prizes, remind trainees that the real prize is learning the content at hand, or bring down the value of your prizes.
How Your Game Show Should Differ From TV
TV game shows are not designed to be the most effective learning tools.
In this video, Missy Covington suggests modifications you should make.
The Top 5 Reasons to Use a Judge in your Game Show
While the trainer can fulfill the role of a judge, there are several advantages to using a separate judge in your game show. Having a separate, impartial judge can be your extra set of eyes, and allows you to focus on the training at hand instead of the game show particulars. These judges can be special guests, your co-workers, fellow trainers, “graduated” trainees, or even trainees that are particularly knowledgeable or have missed a few sessions (thus being too far out of the loop to play the game show).
1. Judges Can Handle Rule Infractions.We’ve found that trainees can, on occasion, be swept away in the tide of game show competition. While you want enthusiastic trainees, there is a point where enthusiasm can go to far and rules can fall by the wayside. A separate judge can enforce the rules, maintain the noise level and curb any “cheating” that might occur. This way, order is maintained and you don’t have to be the “bad guy.”
Asking a content expert to be a judge in your game show can be an extremely valuable contribution to the game show and your training.
2. Judges Can Determine Who Rang in First.If you’re not using buzzer systems then there will undoubtedly be some confusion as to which team rang in first to answer a question. It can be tough to host the game and pay attention to who raised their hand a millisecond faster than another player, or which noisemaker sounded first in a room full of noisemakers. While some trainers have chosen to have teams take turns in lieu of ringing in, the “ring-in” is part of the fun of a game show competition! Here’s where the judges come in. They can keep a careful eye on which team raises their hand first, or sounds their noisemaker. They can then call out which team should answer so a late-ringing team doesn’t start to give their answer prematurely because they thought they rang-in first.
3. Judges Can Moderate Answer Disputes. There may be some occasions where an answer is close, but not correct. A team may have given an answer that was correct to their (accurate) knowledge but marked incorrectly in the game, an answer that was too general or even only partially correct. A judge can award points based on the merit of a good discussion or argument. They can also ask for elaboration on an answer or give partial credit when needed.
4. Judges Are the “Keepers” of the Answers. It’s always useful to print out an answer key before playing your game show. Giving this answer key to the judge lets you focus on the content, and not on remembering which answer was under which panel (as in Classroom Feud) or which multiple choice answer was really correct and which was really just a very plausible distracter. When a team gives an answer the judge can determine its correctness, and then you can elaborate on the content, congratulate the team, and explain why the answer was correct or incorrect.
5. Judges Can Add to the Value of the Game Show. Asking a content expert to be a judge in your game show can be an extremely valuable contribution to the game show and your training. Trainees can get extra information and ask questions of an executive, distributor, vendor, or a department specialist. The judges can support your content and add relevance to the game show. Guest judges can also add humorous commentary, variety and levity to game shows sessions.
Bonus Tip: All of a Judge’s Decisions Are Final. The best thing about having a separate judge is that no decisions are personal. Clarify at the beginning of a game show that the judge will try to be fair and impartial-and that all judges’ decisions are final. It’s like having a dedicated umpire at a baseball game; while trainees might not agree with every decision a judge makes, arguing the decision will get them no where. For every call “against” their team there’s an equally likely chance that there will be a call “for” their team in the next match or category.