Using Game Design to Teach Information Literacy Skills

Take notice of The University of Michigan, they might be onto harnessing the potential that games have for teaching students concepts and skills.

A research team at the University have designed a prototype web-based board game for teaching undergraduate students about Information Literacy Concepts and Skills. Students play the game to learn how to conduct library research.

They chose a game for the task for many research-based reasons, but also because

"Games can be with the student when an information expert cannot be. Games can be in the dorm room, at the coffee house, and anywhere else that the Internet can be accessed. Games are a way to bring information expertise to the users where they are already working."

The game called the Defense of Hidgeon: The Plague Years scaffolds the students learning beginning with showing students how-to start their research using encyclopedias and handbooks to develop a broad understanding of their topic, then shows students how to deepen their understanding through bibliographies and databases, and then finally shows students how to use specific tools to find cutting edge research.

Students played in teams adding in the social learning and peer collaboration component of gaming.

For the project evaluation students were surveyed and provided ideas to redesign the game for future use.

It would be interesting to find out if the game actually improved the research ability of the students who participated. I would think so. After all, learning can be fun.

Video Games- Teaching Social Issues

I stumbled upon a brochure today for the RePlay Positive Video Game. Perfect timing, because we are on the topic of using video games for learning in my Online ED Tech class.

The RePlay Video Game promotes healthy relationships, treating others with respect, and how to prevent violence. This type of non-entertainment game promotes social change is designed to get students to critically think about the world they live in. RePlay is designed for students-ages 8-14.

"Video Games are popular and they can help youth think about things in new ways"

The RePlay Video Game uses a simulated environment to immerse students in active participation while learning ways to better communicate through difficult conflicts that come up as they play.

As students play they learn how to view a world with healthy, equal, and respectful relationships among themselves, with their family members, and their peers, and learn new ways to deal with conflicts and relationships in their own lives.

Also, as students play they learn about community resources that are available to them. This video game is was developed in Canada, so some of the resources are Canadian, but the game can be useful for students everywhere.

Video games are now recognized as a powerful tool in teaching; since students love to play them these games offer an opportunity to catch students' interest and impact lives.

The Replay Video Game can also be integrated into your Social Studies, Math, and Language Arts curriculum.

Here are some ideas for curriculum use:

• Have students create role play scenarios in Language Arts, act them out, and video the role plays for future use.
• Have students write stories in Language Arts and record them using podcasting technology, allowing the stories to be heard by many others.
• Have students review local statistics relating to domestic violence and then chart the data they have collected.
  

There are many more ways to integrate this game in your classroom and at the same time provide students an opportunity to improve their own life and the lives of others they will interact with today, and in the future.

• Related Site:
• Games for Change