Materials

The game is played with a game board and with accessory pieces that are printed and cut apart like cards.  The game board and the collection of accessory pieces are each PDF files formatted to be printed on 16 by 22 inch vinyl poster material. 

The game board is printed with

• Two cartoon figures of patients
• A list of 14 conditions (depression, nausea, incontinence, etc) needing treatment in these patients

Once cut apart, each accessory game piece fits onto one specific place on the board

• Two sets each of six body organs (brain, eyes, mouth, heart, intestine, bladder), one set showing normal acetylcholine function and one set showing blocked acetylcholine function
• 30 treatment options including drugs, non-pharmacologic treatment, or a disclaimer that no drug exists without anticholinergic effects

Methods

The game can be used with a single learner or with small groups of up to 20 learners.  If multiple game boards are available, each learner can work on an individual board.  If only one board is available, up to six learners can easily use one board.  For groups of more than six learners, the learners should be broken up into groups of two to six learners, each group working with a separate game board.

The teacher explains the two stages of the game.  In the first stage, learners place the 12 body organ pieces onto the board to review how body organ functions are affected by anticholinergic drugs.

In the second stage, learners place cards onto the board to indicate whether treatments have anticholinergic effects or not.  The teacher should state explicitly that while none of the treatements is explicitly cholinergic, several of the treatments at least do not block normal acetylcholine function.

When the game is used for a single learner,  then ask the learner after finishing the game to state concepts in their own words for the placement of each card. 

If two or more learners work on a single game board, they will usually talk out loud as they go to discuss placement of individual cards.  Nevertheless, once the game board is completed, the teacher should ask students to take turns explaining placement of one of the game cards.

An answer key can be printed on 8 ½ by 11 inch paper to hand out to learners after the game showing the correct placement of the cards.  (The game board and accessory pieces can also be printed on 8 ½ by 11 inch paper, but handling the accessory pieces is difficult when printed on paper this small.)