I originally built this program because I was elected to run a Jeopardy game for my school's annual Science Olympics. I couldn't find a very good program. All I could find is a PowerPoint slide show that looked cumbersome to work with. I developed this program to make it easy to build boards for this Science fair and I also found it useful for reviewing topics in my classes.
In my opinion, competition does not belong in the classroom. In competitive activities, there is one winner and in the classroom that means the rest of the students feel like losers. I disagree with this situation because I think teachers should motivate all students to learn.
However, I do believe games like BYOJeopardy can be a fun way to review if they can be used to engage and motivate all students. Together with other teachers and students I have found some ways that work for me in the classroom. I usually run the game, so that every student is scored individually. I have also had great suggestions for team played jeopardy. Keep in mind that I teach 11th grade students, so not all of my suggestions will work everywhere.
First, make sure the T.V. or LCD Projector and the computer, which it is attached to, is working properly. Technical problems are sure to occur, so it is always best to get them out of the way before class.
Before the game, find a couple helpers. One student to keep score and another student to decide who's hand was raised first. The student who helps you check hands raised is important, so the students do not feel the game is unfair.
Students usually need some sort of motivation to keep them interested. I usually give them some sort of credit for playing the game and even more for doing well. It may be regular or "extra" credit.
Usually, I do not play the game Jeopardy-style where the students answer in the form of a question. I usually play the game in a quiz-like manner where students just answer the question. The rules are simple. Students must raise there hand to answer a question. Students can not answer until the host (usually the teacher) has finished stating the question (This gives some students a little more time to think). If a student answers a question correctly, the student earns the points. If a student answers a question wrong, they lose points. Once a student answers a question correctly, he/she gets to choose the next topic and value.
As a teacher, I would do everything possible to keep the score close and make the students all feel like they are playing. If there is a tie when students raised there hands, I pick the student who has not gone or the student with less points. Make sure your helper who is checking hands knows this too. Also, you may want to extend the time before students can raise their hands after a question is stated. This will give all students enough time to think about the question.
At the end of the game, we play a Final Jeopardy round, which is not on BYOJeopardy. First, the students confidentially bet some of their points up to the amount they have earned. If their are students without points, I give everyone an extra 500 points so that all the students compete in the Final Jeopardy even if they will not win. I then post a question on the board and give the students two minutes to answer the question. The students who get the answer correct win the points, and the students who get the answer wrong lose the points.
A student who has used BYOJeopardy in a student club made some great suggestions to make a fair team-played game. In this game, the teacher chooses the group. The teacher also picks a spokesman that is the only one who can raise his/her hand. The spokesman should be someone who usually does not know the answers. Students who usually know all the answers should not be spokesmen because the team will just rely on that person and not try to answer on their own. This type of team game encourages discussion of the topics and should help students learn.