Test preparation doesn’t need to be boring!

Test preparation doesn’t need to be boring!

Breakout EDU games help alleviate stress and amplify fun

Assessments can be used as a powerful tool for learners. End-of-year assessments, typically summative exams, are often used to help students demonstrate how much academic growth they have experienced throughout the school year - they also provide critically important data for next year's teachers so they can hit the ground running in the fall with an informed awareness of student strengths and areas of growth. 

As the school year draws near, so too does end of year standardized testing. For some students, the idea of taking what is considered a high-stakes exam can bring on feelings of dread or anxiety. They may begin experiencing heightened stress that sometimes even presents as physical symptoms like nausea, difficulty breathing, or avoidant or disruptive behaviors. Teachers everywhere are preparing to do their best to help students manage this stress and prepare for the exams. 

Many traditional test preparation methods, like review sheets, often fall short, leaving students disengaged. Thankfully, Breakout EDU is here to help transform test preparation into an exciting adventure. Students won’t even remember they are preparing for exams as they solve puzzles, decode clues, and work together to breakout - all with minimal preparation time!

Any time of year, Breakout EDU games foster a love for learning by providing students with engaging and immersive experiences. This becomes even more powerful during test preparation season as teachers and students work to reinforce content knowledge, reduce exam anxiety, and continue honing skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration.

Challenges of standardized testing

The challenges of standardized testing are well-documented. While it’s typical for students to feel some level of pressure around end of year exams, for up to 20% of students that pressure evolves full blown testing anxiety. From the pressure to perform well to the fear of failure, students face a series of obstacles while preparing for these important assessments. Research has shown that students with testing anxiety tend to perform worse on exams because that anxiety affects the cognitive processes linked to working memory. 

Breakout EDU offers a unique solution to these challenges by providing students with engaging, interactive activities that make test preparation feel like a game - because it is! By incorporating elements of play into the learning process, Breakout EDU helps students approach testing with confidence and enthusiasm rather than fear or anxiety. When students are having fun and working together towards a shared goal, it becomes easier to focus and process information. 

As educators, we know that failure is never final. Students learn from every experience they have, including performance on assessments. With Breakout EDU, teachers can give their students the gift of resilience, grit, and confidence. These gifts can help them confront stressful situations and manage anxiety surrounding high stakes standardized testing. Incorporating rigorous, challenging, and collaborative learning opportunities like Breakout EDU games, provides students the chance to both win and lose while encouraging them to respect failure, work hard, control big emotions, and celebrate their hard-earned wins. 

“Breakout EDU is a versatile, engaging experience that brings content to life with students. They don’t know they are learning or reviewing content because they are playing a game!” - Megan Charlton, Instructional Coach

Prepare students with play

In a previous blog post, "Play-Based Learning: The Benefits of Play in the Classroom," we explored how Breakout EDU activities can ignite a passion for learning in students of all ages. 

Breakout EDU engages students on a deeper level, making learning both fun and meaningful through immersive, game-based environments. That’s why these games are ideal to support students as they prepare for their end-of-year exams. 

Reviewing for standardized tests with Breakout EDU games enables students to put their content knowledge to the test in a fun way while also communicating with peers, solving problems, and applying the social-emotional skills they have honed all school year. 

Participation in these games require students to be agile critical thinkers and think outside the box. Together, they analyze information, make informed decisions, and apply creative solutions without even remembering they are preparing for a high-stakes exam. The immersive nature of Breakout EDU fully engages students while helping them continue building a positive attitude towards learning, test preparation, and assessment in general.  

Ideas for using Breakout EDU this testing season

There are several different ways that teachers can harness the power of Breakout EDU for end-of-year content review. Regardless of which approach is selected, the comprehensive teacher dashboard allows educators to monitor student progress as they play - and use that performance data to develop personalized review pathways to benefit all students! 

• Content-Aligned Games:

  Breakout EDU offers content-aligned games for all grade levels. Preparing for a math exam? Try Galactic Round-Up (or down) or Decimally Delicious - digital games that require students to utilize time management, measurement conversion, and computational thinking skills. If your students need some practice with standards related to multiples, fractions, additions and logic then Game Gem Quest might be the perfect review game! There is no shortage of games aligned with the scope and sequence of Common Core State Standards to keep students busy this review season.

• Game Design Studio:

  Educators can use the Game Design Studio to create custom games tailored to their students' unique review needs or even add customizations to existing games allowing for a more differentiated review experience. Better yet, let students take control of their test preparation by designing their own Breakout EDU games! When students design games, they take ownership of their learning. Robust content knowledge is needed to build clues for a game. With Game Design Studio, students are not only leveraging their content knowledge, they also activate their creativity which reduces the onset and impact of anxiety. This student-led approach promotes a sense of ownership and pride while reviewing for end-of-year exams. 

• Collaborative Review:

  When used as a test prep tool, Breakout EDU games are the perfect way to encourage student engagement with both their peers and the content. When teams race the clock to breakout, there is an inherent collaboration that occurs; taking the pressure off of any individual student to “get it right”. 

Conclusion

Breakout EDU can be used as a valuable tool for teachers preparing students for high-stakes exams this spring. Test preparation does not need to be boring! Students who have fun while learning and reviewing are less likely to experience stress and anxiety related to assessment. When learning is fun, students develop a positive attitude towards learning and assessment which can result in greater academic success for all. Are you ready to unlock student success this spring? Click here to start your free trial of Breakout EDU today!