The Learning Puzzle
Breakout EDU is a growing trend these days that educators are talking about. What you may not realize, however, is just how many facets of problem solving and group dynamics are addressed when students engage in solving this group puzzle. Most important for educators (after having a bit of fun) is knowing how it applies to student learning.
A big part of my job as a school librarian is to keep appraised of what is going on in education with technology, with literature, and just in general. To that end, I take classes, attend conferences, read professional literature, and follow online communities, much of this at my own expense and on my own time. This year I attended the ISTE conference in Denver and the SLATE conference in the Wisconsin Dells. I also participated in the summer Greater Madison Area Writing Project offering and several online classes. It is a big job to keep up with what is going on, to reflect on it, and to make an effort to share what I have learned with others in the learning community. The ultimate measure of success is whether the new knowledge, practice, or gizmo can contribute to student learning. Is it a fad or something truly worthwhile?
That is the question that I had in mind when I attended a session on BreakoutEDU at the SLATE conference in the Wisconsin Dells this past December. Chairs were set into many groups of 6–8 people in the conference room. In the center of each of the group sat a box, a book, several papers, and a smaller box. We were told:
- Storyline: We are at an endless faculty meeting with a talkative principle. The final page to his notes on the meeting is in the box. If we ever want to get out of the meeting, we need to get those notes.
- Everything we need to solve the puzzle is there in front of us.
- We have 45 minutes to solve the puzzle.
- We should work together.
- We could use the hint cards if we need to.
Hmmm. How to begin? There were seven of us. We each took turns rifling through the papers, looking at the book (it is a dictionary), and holding up the boxes. Then we did it again. The larger box had four locks on it; they were different kinds of lock. The smaller box had a three-number dialed lock. Then there was a dictionary and a few papers. We all knew that we wanted to be able to open the locks on the boxes. The hardest part for us was getting started. We tried to think about what we already knew. One member of our group had done a Breakout box previously so we turned to her. It was agonizing but exciting.
We took time to reflect as a group when we finished opening the box. Here are some of the questions that we discussed:
- How did your group work well together?
- How do you think your group could have been more effective?
- What was the most difficult?
- How did you utilize individual’s strengths?
- How did you find out who had what strengths?
- How did you contribute to your team?
- What would you do differently next time?
- Do you feel like your ideas were heard?
Finally:
- How can a game like this be used in your classroom?
- Where can Breakout EDU games fit in the curriculum?
- What are some ways games can be designed for larger group?
We were able to reflect on many of these questions, but we did not get to the final questions. The presenters had some anecdotal information that they shared about how they have seen the Breakout EDU box used in the classroom. Hints and clues can be oriented to curricular content, for example. The story line can pertain to curricular content. It turns out that there is a vast community of people out there willing to share what they have done in their schools.
I found out that Breakout EDU is part of a greater interest in this type of group problem-solving challenge. In fact, there are several places right here in Madison with Breakout rooms that people can rent. Just like the Breakout EDU box, there is a story line and people must use all available clues to think their way out of the room. Here are links to a few Madison area breakout rooms:
After my experience with the box, this sounds like great fun!
It seems to me that the key benefit of the Breakout EDU process is the process itself: working together as a group to figure out solutions; communicating along the way; assuring that each member has a voice; exploring all options; devising ways to contend with the unknown; and reflecting on the successes and challenges encountered along the way to inform and improve future practices.
It is true that those with claustrophobia might not enjoy it.
I was able to see the Breakout EDU box in action at Waunakee High School on two occasions. First, I used a modified scenario for my homeroom students to use to enjoy a birthday treat for one of the students. Pepperidge Farm Mint Milano cookies were inside the big box. It was interesting to me to see which students were engaged (most of them) and how much they wanted to solve things on their own. I practically had to bite my tongue to avoid blurting out clues. I gave them lots of hints and felt pretty smug about the whole thing. We did only have 30 minutes total.
The next time I saw the Breakout EDU box in action (using the same storyline about getting an antidote to an intentional deadly airborne virus, by the way) was in Mr. Pavao’s computer science I class. He wanted to add in the red herrings, the additional locks, and make it as difficult as possible. I secretly did not think this was a good idea for a first try, but who am I to say?
To my amazement, the students labored over the puzzle with great relish. Not once did they stop to ask about a clue and we gave them none. They got hot and cold and luke-warm and hot again and we just sat their with stone faces. I was certain that they would never put everything together because they were way off the mark or they didn’t talk to one another (it was an entire class). And step by step over time they figured it out. It was astounding!
We, as the adults in the room, did nothing. Still, they opened all of the locks with just what was put before them. I could not believe it. I experienced a simultaneous sense of utter admiration for the ingenuity of the students and abject worthlessness for our role as instructors. Our meddling, in fact, would have deflated their accomplishment. There is something to be learned here!
The teacher did bring it back around to ask the students some of the questions listed above in this post and again, they were able to identify their greatest challenge, what they could have done differently to have performed even better as a group and what they did really well. This was such an eye opener for me. They nailed it. They could have communicated with one another more effectively, they identified the large group as both a benefit and a hindrance, they successfully moved past the red herrings and they recognized the different skills and attributes of the group members. Wow!
Nevertheless, the guided reflection made it work as a valuable learning experience. Without that, it was challenging and engaging, but not necessarily a learning experience. Mr. Pavao did not lead the questions or prod them to answer a certain way, but they were able to successfully identify all of the key elements to what they could do better next time. The only thing that Mr. Pavao needed to mention after the students covered every major point that he and I were able to identify was the idea of a regular check-in to see what everyone knew at a given point in time.
Time and time again the participants in the Greater Madison Writing Project have identified reflection as a key to learning. We write, share our writing, and reflect on both the writing, our sharing and what transpired in that process. Similarly, our students engage in activities and assignments and our expectation that they reflect on what transpired, make connections, and share their discoveries is where much of the learning takes place.
So, back to my role as a school librarian. I learn about new, cutting edge technologies, tools, and ideas and make an effort to bring these back into the school to share with anyone and everyone. Some, like the Breakout EDU box, have great potential to build effective group collaboration and thinking skills. The Breakout EDU box is even fun and highly challenging for many students. Our role as educators really come into play when we push past these initial benefits to reflect. That is where the most potent learning happens. I want to say “I knew that!”
