Games are essential to
humans to learn and grow. In many cultures, children use games to simulate and
gain the skills that they will need as adults.
As an adult, a game can be a quick way to understand a new concept or
practice. In the Agile world, Agile games can be used to grasp Agile related
concepts.
As Agile is typically
implemented within organizations as they embark on an Agile transformation,
games can be key to help them adapt toward an Agile mindset and accelerate the
learning. They can be used to grasp many
of the Agile values and principles and the concepts of customer value, flow,
and feedback.
What is an Agile Game
An Agile game is an activity
focused on teaching, demonstrating, and applying the Agile mindset through
using game theory. An Agile game has a learning objective in mind. The objective is to teach the player an Agile
concept, practice, or technique that supports the Agile values and principles. Games without objectives are meaningful to
learning.
For example, in order to
learn about customer value, a game may be introduced that asks team members to
differentiate between different types of currency. You may learn that it isn’t always easy yet
feedback may be used to better understand the value of the currency. This simulates what it takes to understand
customer value in the real world.
Why use Agile Games
Games can jump-start the learning
of concepts that can lead to an accelerated transformation. This can be useful
in an Agile transformation. Games can also be used to model complex concepts or
give you insight into processes. They
can give the participants the ability to assess why they work or don't work.
Games insert energy and
excitement into learning. Games are often hands-on and get you out of your
seats. They get the blood going in your
body and more importantly into your brains.
Typically Agile games teach
basic and mid-level concepts. More
complex and deep concepts should be accompanied by deeper studying,
experimenting, and applying of the concepts and practices in real-world environments.
Getting started with Agile Games
The first step in getting started with Agile games is to identify your specific learning objective. An objective is often focused on exercising a specific Agile concepts, practice or technique. Once you have identified your learning objective, you may search the internet for games that may support your objective. A good place to find a variety of Agile games is at TastyCupcakes.org.
