When students first start their studies, they have much to learn. Even though the new environment can be a bit overwhelming, newcomers should learn about the services that help them cope with their studies (Reed, 2020). This is a situation in which we should find new ways to effectively encourage and support learning. Functional learning, playfulness and collaboration can enhance learner motivation and improve the chances of remembering what has been learned (Bai, 2019). Utilization of mobile game-based learning can be a powerful idea because “students feel more engaged in the learning process and are interested in following the educational strategy” (Troussas et. al., 2020). Players of a game are active collaborators instead of passive listeners.
The library introduction game in Metropolia UAS is basic level;, the aim is to introduce library services and facilities. Students play it in small groups with their own mobile devices. We use Seppo, which is a platform for gamified mobile learning and training, for the game. The game consists of ten map-based tasks, some of which are locked so that the players need to unlock them with a key hidden in the library. The idea is to make students move around the library premises. To motivate players we use goals, which are a basic feature of games (Walsh, 2018). The goal is to win and be rewarded a prize.
During spring and autumn 2023 we will study the students’ views on playing the library introduction game with a short questionnaire. The preliminary results suggest that students react positively to gamified library introduction. We will report the results at the workshop.
Workshop Outline and Objectives
The participants will play a short game specifically designed for the session. The participants will gain a good understanding of the game and how it can be used in a library setting. After playing we will discuss the game and the thoughts and ideas the participants have gained.
Target audience are those who are interested in using games for library introduction or information skills teaching. Participants need a mobile device that has an internet connection. The space needs to enable moving from one task point to another in groups of 2-3.
References
Bai, H. (2019). Pedagogical practices of mobile learning in K-12 and higher education settings. TechTrends, 63(5), 611–620. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-019-00419-w
Reed, K. N., & Miller, A. (2020). Applying gamification to the library orientation. A study of interactive user experience and engagement preferences. Information Technology and Libraries, 39(3), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v39i3.12209
Troussas, C., Krouska, A., & Sgouropoulou, C. (2020). Collaboration and fuzzy-modeled personalization for mobile gamebased learning in higher education. Computers and Education, 144, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103698
Walsh, A. (2018). The librarians’ book on teaching through games and play. Tallin: Innovative Libraries.
