Stee On each of our campuses and in each of our communi- ties, there may be individuals who would choose to help remove the burden of long-term debt from the shoulders of those already sufficiently burdened as they pursue the dream of a higher education. Austin Community College is fortunate to have been the “right place at the right time,” becoming one beneficiary of Amado Peja, Jr.’s commitment to giving something back to his community and to enriching the lives of students in a tangible and critical way. Games Nurses Play Creative teaching techniques involve the use of many learning principles, and they promote the development of critical thinking skills. Techniques such as “gaming” involve the active participation of the student and generate a new enthusiasm for learning. At Monroe Community College, nursing students are required to take comprehensive final examinations. Instructors have adapted the popular board game “Trivial Pursuit”™ (Selchow and Righter Co., Bay Shore, NY) to help students prepare for the exams. The normal game subjects have been replaced with six nursing- related categories: (M) medications; (N) numbers; (DT) definitions/ terminology; (P) procedures; (NP) nursing process; and (D) documentation. Plaving the game is easy and fun. Students may play as individuals or in opposing groups. With some excep- tions, the rules of the game are basically the same as those outlined in the “Trivial Pursuit”™ instruction booklet. To move the game along quickly, instructors allow students to win a “pie wedge” anytime the player or team answers a category’s question correctly; normally, a player or team can only win a pie wedge when they have landed ona hub, or “headquarters” square, and have answered correctly. The game presents students with nursing-related questions that must be answered correctly. A correct Fifteen students now receive Pefia scholarships. His original commitment to the program is stronger today than ever, and new fund-raising initiatives are in the planning stages. Dan Angel, President Mike DeVault, Executive Assistant to the President For further information, contact the authors at Austin Community College, P.O. Box 140526, Austin, TX 78714. answer wins the corresponding category’s pie wedge. Each player or team is given 60 seconds to answer a question. If a player or team correctly answers the question, they win the category’s pie wedge and can continue playing. If they answer incorrectly, the other player or team takes their turn and attempts to answer a question. Once the player or team has won a pie wedge, they do not have to answer any more questions in that category. The game proceeds with students collecting pie wedges from all six categories. In order to win, the player or team must land in the middle of the board, where they answer an additional question chosen by the opposing player or team. This gaming technique has been enthusiastically accepted by students, and they play it several times before the final comprehensive examination. The tech- nique has been identified as one major reason for the students’ exceptional performance (95 percent pass) on the National Council Licensure Examination. Pamela Korte, Instructor, Nursing For further information, contact the author at Monroe Community College, P.O. Box 9720, Rochester, NY 14623. Suanne D. Roueche, Editor January 31, 1992, Vol. XIV, No, 2 ©The University of Texas at Austn, 1992 Further duplication is permitted by MEMBER institutions for their own personnel. INNOVATION ABSTRACTS is a publication of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD), Department of Educational Administration, College of Education, EDB 348, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, (512) 471-7545. Funding in part by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the Sid W. Richardson Foundation. Issued weekly when classes are in session during fall and spring terms. ISSN 0199-106X.