"When challenged at the appropriate level and given quick feedback, a person is motivated to complete a task. That is a primary draw of the daily crossword puzzle. The Crossword Puzzles IDEA serves as a teaching technique that allows students to demonstrate an understanding and recall of key concepts, terminology, and definitions. It also provides quick feedback and, if done at the correct level, challenges students. The strategy involves the instructor creating a puzzle to reinforce key course material. Crossword Puzzles have been shown to lead to positive results, particularly when used in class as a method for review (Weisskirch, 2006).In addition to improving students’ motivation to learn and an increased retention of content, students report enjoying the activity (Crossman & Crossman, 1983). A significant advantage of Crossword Puzzles is that the activity receives consistently high marks from students in a variety of empirical studies (Franklin, Peat, & Lewis, 2003). The game also allows students to test their knowledge." — Teaching for Learning, Major CH, Harris MS, Zakrajsek T, 2016 |