Frequently Asked Questions
1.What is the setup required to play a game?
Internet access and a web browser are the only requirements. Creating a game session (as an instructor) takes approximately 2 minutes or less. We recommend creating the game session one week or a few days before the game is played in class. Once a game session is created, students can go to games.fathomd.com to join the game session and access the game instructions.
2. How long does it take to play a game?
It depends. The instructor can determine the maximum number of rounds for the game and the decision time limits for each round. For example, if the instructor would like to play 30 rounds with a time setting of 1.5 minutes for each round, it will make the total duration of the game 45 minutes. Typically, our games can be finished around 1 hour.
3. Should I assign players to roles prior to the game session?
No, the instructor does not need to worry about assignment. All player assignments are automatic and are handled by the system. Once the instructor starts the game session, all online players that have joined the game session are automatically assigned roles.
4. What happens if a student arrives to the class/game session late and/or leaves early during the session? What happens if there are not enough students to play a game?
Our platform has embedded machine players to handle all such exceptions and ensure that the game session can proceed smoothly. You do not need to worry if a student arrives late or departs early. Similarly, if there are not enough students when the session begins, machine players will be automatically assigned to the game.
5. Can the game be played outside of the classroom or during an online course/lecture?
Yes, it can be. Note that students can participate in the game from anywhere that has Internet access. Playing the game outside of the classroom requires the students and instructor/game administrator to log into the game session at the same time (except for the asynchronous version of the newsvendor game). The instructor can schedule a time, request students/players to join the game session during the scheduled time, and administer the game in the same way that would be done in a classroom.
If desirable, the instructor can divide the class into multiple groups and set different times for students in different groups to play together. This setup is particularly helpful when students are distributed in different time zones around the world. The instructor can easily copy the same game setting to create multiple identical sessions.
6. Can the game be played in an asynchronous course/lecture?
When an instructor is giving a pre-recorded, asynchronous course, our games can be used as a great opportunity for all students in the class to connect online for a couple of times during the semester in between pre-recorded lessons. Instructors have commented that this is really helpful to increase students’ engagement with the course. Students love it because it helps to build a sense of community among them which is usually missing when taking a pre-recorded course. Note that the newsvendor game does have an asynchronous option under which individual students can play at different times.
7. Are there any supporting documents for the games?
Each game has its own instructions and the students should read the game instructions and answer the simple questions before class. Each game has its own Lecture Facilitation deck (.ppt Teaching Slides deck provided by Fathomd) which also includes a brief description of the game, objective of the game, and corresponding calculations. The instructor will also have teaching strategy documents for each game which contains detailed information about the various learning objectives of this game, including a sample teaching plan.