Game to Learn

Teach Me More! Fun & Gaming in Libraries
Chad Boeninger, Reference & Instruction Technology Coordinator, Ohio University Libraries
Randy Christensen, Associate Professor Library Media, Southern Utah University Library

Chad showed examples of several popular video games. (I can't wait to get back to the library and borrow Lego Star Wars) and showed how games encouraged exploration, immersion, and learning while doing. Watching those 15 minutes of video game clips really illustrated how successfully game designers reward intuitive thinking, offer guides to finding information, and encourage trial and error. Can the same be said of our online catalogs and web sites? I don't think it could hurt to take a couple of lessons from an $18 billion a year industry.

For more on how gaming is impacting society, check out The Kids are Alright: How the Gamer Generation is Changing the Workplace