A DECISION- MAKING GAME FOR CAREERS eT ir aL! cat eee a)SURVIVE! A DECISION-MAKING GAME FOR YEARS 9 AND 10 Survvel is designed to help students achieve several of the aims outlined in Key Stages 3 and 4 of the National Curticulum outinas for Careers Ecucation and Guidance. 0g 2 to participate in decision-making that requires thelr own and other people's point-of-view to be taken into account bo strengthen understanding of the qualities required for tear work €) to prepare for situations in adult working Ife where negotiations and assertiveness may be required “The game, which has been extensively tested, is a variation on the popular survival exercises which are often included in careers education and PSE courses. It is very effective in attracting and holding students’ interest, and In helping ther to reflect on their own decision-making skis “The game occupies 45 ~ 60 minutes but tutore who are new to the game should allow 60 minutes. CONTENTS Tutor’s Notes ‘The players! worksheet ‘The review worksheet ‘The team leaders inetructone Pack of cards illustrating the survival tems, The solution PREPARATION For each player participating in the game, you will noed to photocopy the folowing item: ‘The players’ worksheet For each team of players, you will need to photocopy the following tems: ‘The solution ‘The team leader's instructions The set of ilustrated cards| The review work shect PROCEDURE (IN OUTLINE) ‘There ae five main stages in playing Survive! © Teams are formed and are introduced to the survival items. © Team members study the problem and make their individual decisions © Team members work together to reach a team decision © Data are collected to investigate the team’s performance and impact en individual decisions @ Review session to explore aspects of decision-making PROCEDURE (IN DETAIL) © Divide the class into teams, Each team should have about € to 8 members, and enough territory er space to avoid isturbing neighbouring teas, © it possible, each team should have a neutral observer, but this role could be played by the tutor moving from team, toteam. © Ack each team to select a leadar and Issue leaders with instructions, and a pack of earde, but not the golution, @ introduce the exercise: ‘Throughout your lives, you will have to make decisions. The game we are about to pay will help you appreciate the importance of having accurate information, and how others can influence your decisions. Listen carefuly to the instructions your leaders wil give you. We wil start the game by inspecting the items which You wil ave to think about during the course ofthe game’© The team leaders distribute the 15 Survive! cards amongst the members who then take tums at describing the item dopicted to the rest of the team. This is to ensura that everyone understands the objects which are listed on the Worksheets. © Issue each player with one copy of the players’ worksheet. Playars study the situation, and work independently to record their decisions on their worksheets (10 minutes). They need to rate the 18 various items in order of Importance for their Survival, 1 being the most important, and 15, the least important. Discourage students trom pairing up or discussing thelr decisions at this stage, © When the independent decisions have been made the worksheets and cards are collected by the leaders and the Worksheets put aside for the time being. Using the cards, the students work with the other members oftheir team. to reach a group decision (up to 20 minutes). Each team must discuss and agree on the final order ofthe 15 items, but its members should avoid voting, averaging, or trading in reaching a decision. The team decision is recorded on the team leader's instructions workshect. ‘© Whon the team has decided on, and recorded, the fnal order for the 16 items, the tutor Issues team leaders with the solution ‘© The team leader copies the solution on his or her instructions worksheet and works out the difference between the team’s ranking and the solution for each item, eg if an item is ranked 3 by the team but 8 in the solution, the ference score for that item is 5. The 15 differences are added together for a total. This total is the team's score after the deoussion. For example: ITEM TEAM CHOICE SOLUTION DIFFERENCE Mosquito net 10 14 4 ‘Shark repellent " 1" 0 Spare oar 6 8 2 Paratfin 2 2 10 Pacife Ocean chart 9 2 3 Sail 5 7 2 Length of rope 7 3 4 Portable radio 13 9 0 ‘Compass a 5 7 Waterproof matches “4 1 3 Water 1 5 4 Survival rations 2 6 4 Knife 4 9 6 ‘Compact mirror 15 4 1" Fishing kit 3 10 7 Team total after cfscussion © The toam leader distributes the individual workshoots and gots members of the team to copy the solution and "work out the differences between their rankings and the solution. The tolals are added together by the team leader {and divided by the number of tam members to obtain an average score. This is known as the team’s score before the discussion, @ The team leader makes a note of the smallest and largest individual totals. These are known, respectively, as the team expert (the member with @ ranking closest to the solution) and the team lablity (the member with a ranking furthest fom the solution). @ When the groups have completed their computations, the tutor records the various scores on a board or flipchat with the help ofthe following table: LEADER EXPERT LIABILITY BEFORE AFTER Team 1 Toam 2 Team 3 ee [ ‘ith the scores on display, allow a few minutes for the teams to compare and pass comments on the various performances. en ea OY SURVIVE Po a mY > > z