Explain Blockchain in an easy-to-understand, fun game!
For one of my classes, I have to conduct a 20 min game/activity with the class that explains how blockchain works in an easy-to-understand way. Would be even better if it has to do with marketing, as that's the class I'm in. It can be as rudimentary or as advanced as we want.
Only idea I have right now is playing a giant game of rock paper scissors where everybody frantically runs around for 10 minutes and plays & wins as many games of rock paper scissors with classmates as they can. When each game is over, both opponents have to go to the notebook in the center of the room and put a tally mark next to who won. This shows that blockchain ensures accountability, everybody documents every "transaction" that is made, and that everybody has access to the public records at all times. (Rather than just everybody keeping track of their own score, which could induce cheating.)
Any ideas? I feel like this is a fun question to answer.
Only idea I have right now is playing a giant game of rock paper scissors where everybody frantically runs around for 10 minutes and plays & wins as many games of rock paper scissors with classmates as they can. When each game is over, both opponents have to go to the notebook in the center of the room and put a tally mark next to who won. This shows that blockchain ensures accountability, everybody documents every "transaction" that is made, and that everybody has access to the public records at all times. (Rather than just everybody keeping track of their own score, which could induce cheating.)
Any ideas? I feel like this is a fun question to answer.
Like the bingo one a lot :)
Also Scrabits - which I tried last year with some students. Took a while to get started but also helps with the transaction log, how your whole Bitcoin is returned to you as "change" and, as the author of the article describes easier if you slow it right down and take turns. At the same time explaining that in the real world model everyone is looking for (mining) a valid chain at the same time.
Also Scrabits - which I tried last year with some students. Took a while to get started but also helps with the transaction log, how your whole Bitcoin is returned to you as "change" and, as the author of the article describes easier if you slow it right down and take turns. At the same time explaining that in the real world model everyone is looking for (mining) a valid chain at the same time.
Marketing and Community Relations Intern
Thank you both! I chose Scott's because it seemed a bit simpler to implement in a quick class setting but I really appreciate you sharing the Scrabbits post as well, MASQ.
hmm, i know this is an old thread but 2 issues with the demo :
- this assumes that a central authority can pick numbers from a jar and distribute them synchronously to all members
- this assumes that all members are able to call bingo and be heard by every other member
... which does not account for one of the biggest issue which is split-head tolerance.
in the case of bitcoins, the (rather disfunctionnal) idea is more like everyone periodically exchanges their chain with random or neighbor peers and the longest chain is taken by both members. every member periodically adds a new block to their own chain. the system is expectd to eventually "pick" the longest chain. which works in a variably satisfying way depending on the relative frequencies of exchanges and added blocks. split head scenarios are expected to happen at times and be solved eventually.
- this assumes that a central authority can pick numbers from a jar and distribute them synchronously to all members
- this assumes that all members are able to call bingo and be heard by every other member
... which does not account for one of the biggest issue which is split-head tolerance.
in the case of bitcoins, the (rather disfunctionnal) idea is more like everyone periodically exchanges their chain with random or neighbor peers and the longest chain is taken by both members. every member periodically adds a new block to their own chain. the system is expectd to eventually "pick" the longest chain. which works in a variably satisfying way depending on the relative frequencies of exchanges and added blocks. split head scenarios are expected to happen at times and be solved eventually.