Using games in the library classroom is an active learning strategy that can increase student engagement. However, not all librarians are equally familiar and comfortable with bringing game-based learning to the library. Game On for Information Literacy is a brainstorming card game to help librarians create games for information literacy and library instruction. Inspired by other successful brainstorming card games, this game was developed, playtested, and iterated over several years in workshops, graduate-level MLIS courses, and professional development programs. Game materials are all available to download, use, remix, and share.
Last April I facilitated a workshop as part of the CUNY Library Information Literacy Advisory Committee’s (LILAC) spring program on library and information literacy instruction. My breakout was on using games for library and information literacy instruction, and we played a game I developed called Game On for Information Literacy to brainstorm a game called Citation Challenge! to teach academic citation style to students.
It was a fun and productive workshop, and we were able to come up with a game for teaching citation that should take about 15 minutes to play, along with several variants that can be used if there’s additional time for the game. Check out the full rules, materials needed, and gameplay on the LILAC website. Please feel free to play it with your students if you need a quick activity to cover citation basics. And if you do play it, drop us a line in the comments — my fellow workshop participants and I would be interested to hear how it goes.
Let me begin by saying thank you to all the presenters, participants, and attendees of the inaugural CUNY Games Festival! We’re pretty darn pleased with how it turned out and hope to see you at the next one.
I received a few questions from educators during the conference about game mechanics–specifically, how to learn more about them. It’s true that having a wide breadth of knowledge about mechanics can only serve to improve your ability to make games, and although it might be best to learn about mechanics by playing more games, I have definitely found Board Game Geek’s Encyclopedia of mechanics to be helpful. And so I share it with you!
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