Dominoes are the familiar little clay-like pieces that children stack on end to form long lines. When the first domino in a line is tipped over, it causes the rest of the line to fall as well. The resulting domino effect is mesmerizing and demonstrates how just one small movement can impact the whole. The same principle applies to the learning challenges many students face. It is easy for a single problem to impact the progress of a class and can lead to frustration in the students and teachers alike. Fortunately, there are some simple steps educators can take to prevent the domino effect from getting out of control.
The domino effect is a simple concept to understand, but it can be difficult to implement in practice. The key is to recognize that a problem that occurs in a single classroom can have a domino effect throughout the entire school or even district. When a student struggles in one subject, it can affect their performance in other subjects and even cause them to struggle with life in general. The key is to identify a problem early and take steps to address it, before it has a chance to grow out of control.
Domino’s, the company that makes pizzas and other foods, took a big risk when it replaced its long-serving CEO in late 2017. That decision, though, ultimately paid off by addressing the main complaint that customers had about the business. It also helped boost the company’s share price, which it had been languishing at for some time.
In addition to the classic block-and-draw games of domino, which involve emptying your hand while blocking opponents’ play, there are scoring and even logic-based games. The most basic Western domino set has a total of twenty-six tiles that are double-sided and marked with an arrangement of dots, called “pips,” on each side. Each domino is also typically twice as long as it is wide, which makes them easy to re-stack after use.
Hevesh, a 20-year-old domino artist, has built mind-blowing setups involving thousands of dominoes. Her largest creations take several nail-biting minutes to fall. Hevesh’s setups follow a version of the engineering-design process and she starts by considering the theme or purpose of the installation.
She then brainstorms images or words she might want to use. She then considers what her opponents might be doing to prevent her from accomplishing her goal and how she can block them.
As she creates her design, Hevesh works to ensure that each part of the domino cascade supports the others and is consistent with logical outcomes for her characters. Whether you’re a pantser who writes by the seat of your pants or a plotter who uses Scrivener to help you develop a detailed outline, considering the domino effect can help you improve your fiction and increase its appeal to readers. It will help you make sure that every scene in your novel fits with the logical progression of your storyline.