Scrabble

Board Game Scrabble – usually played with up to four people around a table (but may be played with more in teams). Each player or team receives 7 tiles with a single letter on each tile. To begin one person (or team) uses their letters to form a word and places it on the board. Play continues as each player or team makes words from their tiles and places them in a crossword fashion on the board. Letter tiles are worth points and score is kept to see who can make words worth the most points.

Electronic Scrabble – played the same as above but play can be against other online players (that you cannot see) or against the computer. You can choose the level of your computer competitor to match with your skill or be higher (for more challenge) or lower (to win). Your letters appear in a window as you play and the computer times your turn. Your score is kept electronically. For play you drag your letters to the board.


Comparison of two formats: digital vs. non-digital

Game components

The format is very similar in physical appearance, although there is no “feeling” of the tiles and you don’t choose your own tiles. There is no board, just computer space where you drag your tiles. I don’t believe the electronic format in this way interferes with play. It is easy to see your letters and your opponent’s letters are also visible, which is different from the board game, where you don’t see others’ tiles.
My definition of games is “a motivating activity with a purpose, following a set of rules, while having fun.” This game definitely falls into my definition for certain learning types. There is a purpose to the game, to form words and use the letters that contain the highest number of points to win. There are definite rules to follow: play follows in turn, only “dictionary” words are allowed, words must be placed in a particular position to read as a crossword, etc. The motivation and fun portions of Scrabble would be determined by individual learner types so this would vary. Using Prensky’s scale, learners falling on the left side of the scale would be less inclined to find this game fun, whereas motivation might come from other factors (such as a need to learn vocabulary).

Interaction

Communication between players is definitely affected, but depending on a particular learner it may be positive or negative. If, as was indicated in our reading, ESL students find it inhibiting to speak (or in this case make words) in front of others due to the fear of mistakes, the electronic version might appeal more to them. However, if students learn best in social situations and are able to help one another, then the communication factor of the board game would be better suited to the situation.

Cooperation - In most games of adult scrabble communication, and therefore cooperation is kept to a minimum even in the board game. The purpose of the game is to get a higher score than your opponent, which leads to competition being a main motivator in many players. However, in my classroom, I allow conversation, even help and discussion among the students to facilitate the learning aspect more than the “winning” aspect. Because my students are learning English, I believe the more they communicate and speak in English, the better for their learning. For this game, this is the main purpose of the game, with building vocabulary the secondary issue. Since many researchers now agree that language is a social experience (and I, too, believe this to be true), the social experience of the game is very important.

Engagement to the game could come from either the board game or the electronic version. I enjoyed playing the electronic version, and found it very challenging and thus motivating. It engaged me with it’s visual aspects and I think it would be even more so if I had been playing with online competitors instead of the computer. Students would be engaged with this game, especially since their goal is to improve their English. This aspect would engage them. Still, I think the interaction with others would engage them further.

Motivation to play the game would depend on the type of learner and purpose for playing the game. Those learners who like to reflect and think would use those skills to play, while hands-on learners would enjoy the control they would have over the words and dragging. The game might be too slow for Prensky’s left-side people, with the lack of action leading to them needing a different kind of motivation. Perhaps the motivation would come from learning new words (as in my ESL students), beating their opponent, or just beating their own last score.



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