Sunday, October 28th, 2007...5:51 pm
The Winning Game
As part of my new role in East Lothian, I will be involved with a number of educational initiatives. Along with five other Local Authorities, East Lothian has been chosen to pilot the Winning Game project. This game is being produced and developed by TPLD. It is a game that enhances your minds ability to make decisions correctly under pressure using an arcade-style game combined with an audio/visual coaching system. Over time it gives the same mental model for winning that is used by professional athletes, fighter pilots, and other high pressure, success-oriented occupations.
The pilot of this project is being lead by Derek Robertson. Derek is the New Technologies for Learning Development Officer at Learning and Teaching Scotland. On Friday, I attended a meeting at Perth High School. This meeting had been organised so that the project could be discussed with the chosen authorities and that the relevant information could be distributed. During the first part of the morning we were given a very informative and lively presentation on Winning Concepts by Yehuda Shinar. Yehuda is an expert in this field. He has been involved in the training of many organisations and famous sports teams.
During his presentation he covered many aspects of the Winning Concept. Here are a few things he mentioned:
- Making a Winner- Ones ability to maximise his/her potential, even under pressure and in competitive situations.
- Winners are always at their maximum potential.
- Winners are led, driven and self managed first and foremost by a special thinking pattern.
- Winners commit themselves to this special thinking pattern even under pressure and in competitive situations.
- The T-CUP theory. Thinking Correctly Under Pressure.
- Time- there is always more time than the winner thinks.
- Winners realise that skills can be learned and practised.
- Winners avoid corners- actions that cost, obstacles, unnecessary risks. They will however take a calculated risk!
- Winners do not experiment at crucial moments.
- Winners change and make progress but not at crucial moments.
- Winners will target the others self confidence.
- Winners will debrief- debriefing equals improvement.
- The Four Questions of Debriefing-
1. What did I want to happen?
2. What actually happened?
3. What was the gap?
4. What am I going to do about it?
As you can see Yehuda covered a lot during his presentation. It was perhaps the last point on debriefing that I found most relevant. As teachers we continually refer to Learning Outcomes as they form the basis on which assessments are set. Teachers and pupils should be debriefing all the time. This reflective use of Learning Outcomes is something that HMIe very much encourages.
During the afternoon session, we were given the opportunity to have a ‘hands on trial’ of the prototype game. I have to say, it is hugely addictive. Not only does it involve skill, judgment and a good reaction time, it involves time management. During the afternoon I was beaten twice by Yehuda. 
I did however have a very unexpected victory over a certain Scottish Rugby legend (though I think there might have been a little bit of generosity on his behalf).
We finished the day with a group discussion on taking the project forward. I will be meeting with others this week to discuss how this will be done in East Lothian.
I would just like to say (write) a couple of words of thanks. Firstly to Yehuda Shinar. Your presentation was excellent. I hope my driving didn’t scare you too much and that you had a safe flight home. Secondly to all the teaching and catering staff at Perth High School for their outstanding hospitality. Finally I would like to thank the pupils at Perth High School for their very warm reception, it was one of the warmest welcomes I think I have ever had in a school! You are excellent ambassadors for Perth High School and I wish you every success in the future.
6 Comments
October 28th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
Interesting comments in ‘The Winning Game’ regarding the psychology of the competitive intellect. Having never analysed it before I think the article is spot-on particularly the de-briefing aspects. Subconsciously competitive people always feel compelled to improve themselves and taking it a stage further in my opinion, it is usually attributable to deep-rooted feelings of insecurity and inferiority. Interestingly, it can only be good that humanity can turn such feelings into success and excellence.
It is obviously a vast and complex subject and well worth the attention of educational establishments.
Well done, Da
October 29th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
Sounds great. Sadly I’m still trying to get onto the next level of my son’s lego star wars game… Lacking in being competitive or just rubbish at the ds? Is it competitive or just the compelling nature of games that hooks certain individuals?
October 30th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Sounds interesting Tess, I am looking forward to trying this out. As teachers it is vital that we embrace new initiatives to help us in our quest to build successful learners and confident individuals.
I would like to hear much more about this, in particular as you say the debriefing aspect seems to have a direct relevance to what we need to do as teachers to enhance Learning and Teaching.
Regards
Sharon
October 31st, 2007 at 7:17 am
Hi Tessa
Thank you so much for the good company while driving me to the airport. As to your question - No, you did not scare me at all. Just the contrary - I wish the pilot of my flight back home would have taken some lessons from you…
I enjoyed so much meeting you and your colleagues, and am truly looking forward to seeing you again soon.
All the very best
Cheers
Yehuda
November 1st, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Thank you for all of your comments. I am very much looking forward to being part of the pilot- Watch this space!
A couple of notes-
@Robert (aka Dad and former Scottish Rally Champion)- Interesting to hear your views on the Winning Concept.
@Lynne- I am not sure. It wasn’t really the competition that did it for me (I didn’t really think about who I was playing at all). It was the thinking behind the actions, the multitasking involved and the working under pressure to gain the best result that got me hooked.
@ Sharon-It is the principle of ‘Debriefing’ that I feel will be thee most useful and relevant part of the game. (More on that once we start the pilot)
@Yehuda- it was great to meet you. I hope there will be opportunity to meet again.
Cheers,
Tess
*I would just like to reiterate that my post was not a ‘description of the game’ but a summary of an informative presentation on the ‘Winning Concept’.
Some elements of the Winning Concept have influenced the development of some of the aspects of the Winning Game.
November 16th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Look forward to seeing this programme. I was lucky enough to hear motivational talks from an ex Olympic canoe slalom coach when I was an undergraduate and some of the ideas are similar (he had coached Gold medal winning teams). The de-brief being especially important but he also focused on “winning mind sets” during mental rehearsals of the course under presure- I’ll always remember it. It sounds a bit like the “thinking patterns” mentioned above. The 4 stages of the model I guess are another interpretation of the learning cycle but I look forward to hearing more.
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