A ludogram is an instrument that serves to graphically represent the roles that each participant or player assumes during the course of a game or match. It is used to study strategic behaviors and its application is generally carried out during the development of a match where some object, such as a ball, circulates among the participants.
The ludogram is based on the observation of a person, who assumes the role of observer, and counts during a certain period of time how many times a player or participant has received, sent or hit the object.
Ludogram example
It is usually applied during the development of a game with a ball or with some object that circulates or rolls, as in soccer; where the observer must count in a given period of time, how many times each player or participant receives, sends and hits the ball and how many scores he makes.
Among the most common ball games in which the ludograma is usually applied are: soccer, "los burdos", "gains ground", indiaca, badminton, and other court games and cooperation.
What is a ludogram for?
Fundamentally, the ludograma has two functions:
- Observe and study strategic movements.
- Count the number of times a participant touches the object or ball.
The ludogram allows us to know and understand how the participation of the players in a given game develops, graphically representing the aspects of the game, as well as knowing the motor capacity of each participant (teammates and opponents) and making decisions according to the characteristics and requirements of each situation.
For this reason, the ludogram is a very useful tool to analyze the roles assumed by the different participants in a game, to have an idea of what happened to the player and the convenience of their performance, in order to develop the strategies of appropriate game.
It is a valuable instrument to study the motor strategy of a player and helps, along with other elements, to understand the affective and relational aspects of a player.
For example, knowing their tendency to adopt aggressive or egocentric subroles or their tendency to cooperate, as well as their possibilities of moving from one subrole to another.
Methodology
The ludograma must be carried out from a game dynamic in which an entire group participates simultaneously around an object, which may well be a ball.
A person, who can be the teacher, exercises the role of observer, who preferably records, supported by technological support (for example, a video recorder) the movements of each participant.
This is the number of times each subject participates, when and from whom he receives the ball and to whom he passes it.
The teacher, as the activity develops, records on a control sheet the partial and total actions of each student, measured in number of movements, passes, ball deliveries, etc.
Results analysis
Once the game is over and the information is collected, it is time to analyze the data collected, both quantitatively and qualitatively.
In a first analysis, the ludogram will tell us which members made a greater number of annotations, had the ball in their possession more times, sent it to certain players, etc.
Among the most significant data, it will be appreciated at the individual level, which of the players concentrate the actions, which of them are more concerned with making passes to other players and how the annotations, passes and receptions are distributed at the group level.
Once this information has been considered, it is convenient to advance in the analysis by asking how the interaction dynamics can be facilitated and / or improved in such a way that all the members can participate in the game.
Also study what modifications should be introduced to enhance the interaction of all and achieve a more participatory game or a more efficient game, depending on the objective that the group sets.
In addition, the ludogram helps to identify the characteristics that favor the best performance of the group in the activity, in view of a tactical and strategic action of the team and a pertinent analysis of the weaknesses and strengths of the group.
The ludograma as a teaching tool
The ludogram is an effective tool for teachers and educators to learn about aspects related to socialization and personal interactions within a group, and to collect data of great importance at a didactic level.
For example, it allows the teacher to know how interactions develop within the group in order to refine the grouping criteria, facilitating the functions and regulating the protagonism of certain students (either by enhancing or reducing said protagonism).
Through the ludograma, the teacher can know in advance some sociological characteristics of his group, finding out some singularities that will determine the game and its development.
In addition to the information related to motor skills, this tool also provides guidelines for interaction within the group and which of the members have the highest appreciation from their peers, who estimate that their intervention contributes to the victory of the team as leaders. or they are rejected by the group, among other interesting facts.
That is why the ludogram reveals important aspects for the meaningful learning of sports games, by organizing the strategy based on roles and subroles.
The ludograma provides the teacher with a very useful tool for their instructive work, considering the group from an attitudinal perspective.
The assessment of the attitude using the ludogram allows to distinguish groups according to the level of execution and distribute the students according to the social relations that exist between them, attending to diversity and adapting education to the specificity and interests of each student.
At the group level, the ludogram is also a very important tool, since through its analysis, it helps the group to study and modify the game, allowing each player to become aware of their own motor performance, the role of each team member and the performance of the team as a whole.
References
- Parlebas, P. "Games, sports and societies" Lexicon of motor praxeology. Editorial Paidotribo, Jan 18. 2008. Retrieved on May 12, 2017 from books.google.es.
- Navarro Adelantado, V. "The desire to play: theory and practice of motor games" INDE, 2002. Retrieved on May 12, 2017 from books.google.es.
- Fuentes & Rodríguez. "The ludograma like instrument of evaluation of the attitudinal contents." Digital Magazine - Buenos Aires - Year 15 - Nº 144 - May 2010 Retrieved on May 12, 2017 from efdeportes.com.
- "Physical Education Program for Secondary" April 2010. Retrieved from: issuu.com.
- "Ludograma" in Glossaries. Alicante server. Retrieved on: May 12, 2017 from glosarios.servidor-alicante.com.
- Lòpez, D. "The performance of my colleagues" Daniel López. Physical / Technical Education 22 Retrieved on May 12, 2017 from danieldaniel05.wixsite.com.
- Rivera, Trigueros “Evaluate in Physical Education. Approach to key concepts ”. (2015) at the University of Granada. Retrieved on May 12, 2017 from ugr.es.