| This is the story of a friend of mine, whom we'll call | | | | that doesn't involve much thinking. The playing has |
| Jane, discovering Bogglific and getting better at it. | | | | become at some level a routine or 'habit'. |
| Bogglific and How It Is Played | | | | Bogglific also offers the option of playing solo. This |
| What's Bogglific? It is an on line version of Boggle on | | | | offers the player the possibility of trying out different |
| the social networking site Facebook. It is a 4X4 or | | | | ideas and seeing the results without the distraction of |
| 5X5 grid in which random letters of the alphabet are | | | | other players. Jane used this to increase her ability to |
| displayed. The game is make words from the letters. | | | | see groups of letters and especially to develop her |
| To form a word the letters have to be next to each | | | | ability to see the whole array at once. |
| other. The player enters the word they see in a box | | | | At this stage other factors than perception become |
| and hits return after each word is entered. Players can | | | | relevant, such as the speed of typing and knowing the |
| elect to play with penalties for incorrect words or | | | | other players (different players are better at different |
| without. The players receive points for words which | | | | groups of letters) so this is where we'll leave Jane's |
| other players don't get. There are two lengths of | | | | learning. |
| game - forty-five seconds or three minutes. | | | | What can we learn from this simple experience of one |
| This is a case study of how learning occurs in a very | | | | person? |
| simple situation. I think it shows some important things | | | | Firstly progress is by jumps in perception. Jane didn't |
| about how learning occurs - which I'll talk about after | | | | work her way gradually from seeing letters next to |
| I've told you the story of Jane learning Bogglific. She | | | | other letters to seeing groups of letters. This |
| has become quite proficient by now. She has a large | | | | perception changed in a flash. In one game she saw |
| vocabulary and is a quick learner. She is also quite | | | | isolated letters in the next game groups of letters. |
| analytical: her changes in perception (which I set out | | | | Secondly the growth in perception is growth in seeing |
| below) came from analyzing what better players did. | | | | patterns. From "one letter next to another forms a |
| From a couple of months ago as a complete beginner | | | | word" to "groups of letters mean several words" to |
| she now rates in the top 200 of over 5,000 players. | | | | "this array of the grid offers these groups of letters" to |
| How Jane Learned to Play Bogglific | | | | " this array offers the possibilities for these kinds of |
| Beginning. | | | | strategies". Each realization lead to a more inclusive |
| At first Jane approached Bogglific by looking at a letter | | | | way of seeing. It was a better organization of |
| and seeing what other letters were around it and if | | | | perception. It wasn't just seeing more letters next to |
| they formed words. In this way it was easy to find | | | | each other, it was seeing differently. |
| three and four letter words. As she got better at this | | | | Thirdly it helps to have a place where there is less |
| she was able to find longer words. | | | | pressure to compete where it is possible to try out |
| First realization. | | | | ideas and see the results. |
| Groups of letters form many words. That is a group | | | | Fourthly, it is possible to learn from others. Jane could |
| of letters such as a,t,e,s make up several words (seat, | | | | see that other players were doing something she didn't |
| eats, sate, eat, ate, eta, sat). Once you see a group of | | | | understand - she then set about watching what they |
| letters there is no need to look for these words you | | | | did. |
| just 'know' they are there and can enter them without | | | | Applying this to learning. |
| thinking. | | | | Education is the learning of patterns. Drill has its uses - |
| Next comes the seeing of different groups of letters. | | | | to speed up the routine, once the patterns are |
| There are prefixes, (such as an- and re-) and suffixes | | | | perceived. But without this perception of the patterns |
| (such as -ing and -er). There are also groups of letters | | | | drill is literally meaningless. |
| within words (such as double letters). These different | | | | In whatever you are learning look for the patterns. |
| groups of letters can then be put together to form | | | | In whatever you are teaching help the students |
| longer words. | | | | perceive the patterns (not necessarily by telling what |
| Second realization. | | | | they are, but by assisting them to see them for |
| It is possible to see the whole 'board' and look for the | | | | themselves). |
| clusters of letters within it. That is the first look at the | | | | It will be helpful to have ways that the performance of |
| board is the whole - not searching it for particular | | | | the better practitioners can be analyzed. So that |
| groups of letters but seeing the whole array of letters | | | | students have a way of learning and aren't just told to |
| and where the different clusters are. | | | | 'hang around' in the hopes that excellence will |
| Third realization. | | | | somehow 'rub off on them'. This is a problem with |
| This perception of the whole leads to the possibility of | | | | many a mentoring program. |
| developing strategy. It means that Jane can decide | | | | It is good to have a place to try out different ideas. At |
| what to focus on: lots of small words, longer words, or | | | | this point pressure to perform will be |
| more unusual words. It may be possible to win with | | | | counterproductive. The fad for frequent testing in |
| one obscure word if no one else gets it. Or it may be | | | | education is very dangerous. People need the space |
| possible to win by having a great number of small | | | | just to play and tinker - to see what happens when |
| words. | | | | they do something and if that doesn't happen then to |
| At this stage it is possible, with simpler games to do | | | | try something else. |
| other things while playing, such as have a conversation | | | | |