Practicing Working Memory: Sonic Dash & Brainscape

Practicing Working Memory: Sonic Dash & Brainscape

In this workshop, our expert LearningWorks Live Instructors team up with kids to learn and play games and apps to improve their Working Memory skill.

Image result for sonic dash

Today’s Activity: Sonic Dash & Brainscape

For this session of LearningWorkForKids’s Working Memory Workshop our LearningWorks Live Instructors and our new Learning Works For Kids Explorers will be exploring the introduction of the thinking skill Working Memory.

We will start with the basics: What is Working Memory? How can it be used? What video games challenge you to use your Working Memory skills? How so?

Let’s learn more about Working Memory together! Learningworks Working Memory Guide

In-session Game: Sonic Dash 

It’s Game time! Today the game of the day will be the exciting super hero fighting game Sonic Dash. We’ll start off by talking together about how to play Sonic Dash and a discussion about what you can learn from the game.

After the discussion it’s time to play! All of our Learning Works For Kids Explorers will be able to hop into their own Injustice game and individually explore for about five minutes with the learningworks live instructors checking in to answer any questions or provide help if it is needed.

Information About Sonic Dash

Reflection / Whiteboard Activity

Whiteboard activities include group discussions, polls, and more!

The Instructors and Explorers will discuss the Whiteboard Activity. What was your experience like? How did you use your Working Memory skills to complete the task? What was challenging?

Explorers will be posed with questions, such as: What did you learn today? How can you translate your Working Memory skills to other areas of your life?

In-session App: Brainscape

For the app of the day we will show the students Brainscape. Brainscape is a brain training app that focuses on the science of repetition.

Brainscape App Information

Reflection

The learningworks Live Instructors will lead Explorers through a discussion with questions, such as: How do you think Brainscape can help you in your everyday life? Do you know of any similar games or apps?

Assign Homework

See the “Follow-up activities” below to learn more about how your child can practice their Working Memory skills this week!

Games and Apps Used in this Workshop

 

Game Downloads:

 

 

Game Downloads:

Workshop Schedule

To join the live session, simply select the appropriate date and time below, then click on the Join Live Session button.  If this is your child’s first Minecraft session, please make sure to view and follow our setup instructions.

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Workshop Activities

The LW4K method to using video games as teaching tools relies on strategic teaching principles and our approach of “Detect, Reflect, and Connect.” The purpose of the Detect, Reflect, and Connect steps is to mold the child into an active learner who becomes aware of, engaged in, and contemplative of what she is learning. These steps can enhance motivation and concentration. They also assist in extending learning beyond a particular game or technology and connecting it to the real world.

  • Detect

    Detect or identify when and where they are using thinking skills in video game play.

    As the participants start their gameplay of Sonic Dash the LearningWorks Live Instructors will help them identify how they must use Working Memory as they start learning new environments and obstacles. They must internalize the game environment, placement of obstacles and enemies, and use the what they have committed to memory to cruise through the first few minutes of play.

  • Reflect

    Reflect or consider how the thinking skills used during gameplay helps them to achieve their goals.

    With a short break in the middle of game play time and a reflection at the end once the Sonic Dash game play time runs up, we will hop to the whiteboard and chat with one another about how we used working memory. The LearningWorks Live Instructors will ask working memory based questions about the tasks they performed in game to see if they were efficient and using the memory to help them achieve their goals in game.

  • Connect

    Connect or apply game-based thinking skills to real-world activities.

    After that discussion about Working Memory in Sonic Dash the LearningWorks Live Instructors will relate the tasks performed and memory used while doing so, to everyday life scenarios the participants encounter outside of video games, such as in school or at home. The guides will also ask for examples from the participants and discuss as a group.

Follow-Up Activities

Activity #1

Students should continue to use the Brainscape app by setting a goal for themselves that they think is reasonable.

-Which activities they struggled the most with and which they found to be easier?

-Which activities activated their working memory and what did they do to succeed in these activities?