Catching the gaming wave

By Michelle Boule

Gaming is hot these days. Everywhere you look, someone is writing about how the younger generation’s gaming mentality is affecting the way they interact with others and how they synthesize new knowledge. As these students enter our institutions of higher learning, we should be aware of the differences between these students and the ones who have come before. We can learn things from our students that will make us better teachers, and we can find ways to connect information literacy and games.

Games teach students a specific skill set that does not always mesh with traditional educational methods.

For example, there are no instructions for games. There may be a manual, but you only read it when you are encountering a problem in the game. Manuals are for when you are in trouble. They are not used as an overview or a reading assignment to prepare you before you get your hands dirty. Many games incorporate learning the rules and control functions into game play. Learning the rules occurs while you are completing the beginning stages of the game.

There are rewards for exploring. In most RPGs (role-playing games), exploring is encouraged. By going off the beaten path of the main storyline, gamers encounter new quests that can earn them experience points, rare items and knowledge of the world. Exploring is something that academia values: We want our students to consider different options, be creative and go beyond what their textbooks reveal. By encouraging this kind of thinking through games, we will expand our disciplines and motivate our students to be more investigative.

The Arizona State University Libraries have developed a fully formed RPG that teaches first-year English students to select, synthesize, evaluate and apply multiple sources of information. The game, called “Quarantined: Axl Wise and the Information Outbreak” (http://library.west.asu.edu/game/about.html), is based on the premise that there is a virus outbreak on campus. A single player must use a variety of sources, including professors, peers and the library, to gather information about the virus. While trying to solve the mystery of the virus, the player must also avoid authorities and infected students and professors. Players use the information they have gathered to make decisions and interact with other characters in the game.

The information-gathering parts of the game are based on information literacy standards endorsed by ASU. All students in the first-year English program attend a library instruction session and the game has been integrated into some of the classes. A student’s skill level is automatically assessed and the class information is available to the instructor. Librarians have long struggled with the different methods of pretesting students’ ability to synthesize and apply their information-gathering skills. This tool creates a fun way for students to learn and for their instructors to assess them. To date, they have piloted this game with about 130 students. The development team is currently analyzing the results of the pilot and working on a new, more complex version of the game.

Assessing and teaching students with a gaming lens, using either the methodology of game playing or an actual game, will increase as new generations enter college. As educators, we should strive to format the information our students need to learn into the medium that makes the most sense to them. Not every subject can be taught with a fun game, but the mentality of games can influence anything and everything. Is it possible that we could throw out the traditional manual and create something entirely new that would also encourage students to explore academic disciplines?