"In the popular movie Apollo 13, the astronauts are trapped with their oxygen running out. In a classic scene, all of the NASA engineers gather in a room with all of the stuff in the spacecraft and have to figure out how to make a square air filter fit a hole made for a round filter. Literally, the engineers had to make a square peg fit in a round hole. In the Houston, We Have a Problem IDEA, students are given a collection of items or information that they must use to solve a problem presented by the instructor. The game is designed to encourage class participation, creativity, and problem-solving. The structure allows the opportunity for students to work together to think of innovative ways to use a set collection of items to solve a problem. Students may understand basic concepts related to class but have a difficult time integrating and applying material. Houston, We Have a Problem can be a fun activity that forces students to think through various issues, hypothesize solutions, and use knowledge gained from class." — Teaching for Learning, Major CH, Harris MS, Zakrajsek T, 2016 |