Serious games for information literacy: a scoping review and design recommendations
| Date | 18 November 2019 |
| Pages | 679-698 |
| Published date | 18 November 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-01-2019-0010 |
| Author | Alex C. Urban |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information user studies,Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet |
Serious games for information
literacy: a scoping review and
design recommendations
Alex C. Urban
School of Information Science and Learning Technologies,
University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the literatureon digital games designed or
adapted for information literacy instruction, as well as practical design recommendations.
Design/methodology/approach –The paper presents an analysis of a compiled set of peer-reviewed
articles on games in the provision of information literacy instruction published between 2013 and 2018,
categorized by game mechanics utilized.
Findings –Application of the inclusion criteria led to 12 papers considered relevant. Synthesis of the papers
suggests that although studies indicate positive outcomes for information literacy games, such games
continue to rely on transcription of declarative tasks to digital environments.
Originality/value –While previous literature reviews provide summaries on information literacy digital
games, this paper not only presents an up-to-date review but also provides step-by-step instructions and
worked examples for aligning information literacy learning mechanics with game mechanics.
Keywords Information literacy, Library instruction, Learning, Game-based learning, Research skills,
Serious games
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In a report released on January 10, 1989, the American Library Association’s Presidential
Committee for Information Literacy recognized that “(i)nformation is expanding at an
unprecedented rate, and enormously rapid strides are being made in the technology for
storing, organizing, and accessing the ever growing tidal wave of information”(para. 1).
Twenty years later, during the proclamation of National Information Literacy Awareness
Month, US President Barack Obama (2009) stated that “we must […] learn the skills
necessary to acquire, collate, and evaluate information for any situation”(para. 1).
Although a US president’s proclamation (2009) indicates growing interest in
information literacy, educational gaps still need to be addressed –especially skills for
conducting research. Despite librarians’roles in information literacy education, college
students rely on librarians infrequently, if ever, when conducting research for course work
(Head and Eisenberg, 2010). Even when students do receive resource-focused instruction
from librarians, many continue to lack the ability to control and manage the resulting
information overload that comes with inquiry (Head and Eisenberg, 2010). This challenge
may be due to limited contact between students and librarians. Frequently, contact is
restricted to “one-shot”training sessions that are intrinsically dull to many students
(Smale, 2011). This challenge raises the question: What additional tools might enhance
information literacy education?
Game-based learning and information literacy
The excitement surrounding digital games for educational, behavioral or social outcomes
has increased over the last decade. Rather than being merely entertaining, digital games
encourage principles of learning –principles that are often better than skill-and-drill lessons
(Gee, 2003). Although many designers create game-based learning applications to support
Library Hi Tech
Vol. 37 No. 4, 2019
pp. 679-698
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/LHT-01-2019-0010
Received 13 January 2019
Revised 20 July 2019
4 September 2019
Accepted 10 September 2019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
679
Serious games
for information
literacy
players in carrying out specific tasks efficiently, others games have fostered higher-level
thinking such as analysis, evaluation and creation (Connolly et al., 2012).
This interest in supporting lower- as well as higher-order thinking skills using digital
games has increased in the field of information science, as well. Smale (2011) noted that
gaming in libraries (and the literature on this trend) has increased over the last decade.
Accompanying this trend has been an increase in digital games designed or adapted for
information literacy instruction (Smale, 2011; Broussard, 2012). There has been limited
exploration, however, of which game features most effectively promote engagement and
support learning(Boyle et al., 2016). As educators adoptdigital games for informationliteracy
instruction, future designers and researchers will benefit from a review of the current
literature on information literacy games and the subsequent design considerations it yields.
Aim of the current paper
The aim of the current paper is to:
(1) provide a scoping review of digital games developed or adapted for information
literacy instruction for both K-12 and higher education within the last five years,
specifically focusing on game mechanics utilized; and
(2) contribute design recommendations for future developers and researchers.
To illustrate how to use these design recommendations, this paper provides worked
examples from the early design and development phases of The Chroniclers, a middle-school
social science and information literacy video game.
Definitions. Information literacy. For the purposes of this research, the term information
literacy refers to the Association of College and Research Libraries’(ACRL) expanded definition:
Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of
information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use
of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.
(para. 6, 2016)
This holistic definition can be applied to almost any digital information literacy game and is
not bound solely to college or research libraries.
Previous research. This research builds upon previous literature reviews on the
intersection of digital games and information literacy. Smale (2011) provided a summary of
applicable literature published up until 2010 on digital games for information literacy
instruction. She detailed research on digital game-based learning and then provided a
synopsis of commercial games used for, games specifically created for, and game principles
for information literacy instruction. Later, Broussard (2012) provided an overview of online
library games, as well as best practices for future designers. Although both Smale and
Broussard reported on the varied success or impediments to the development of the games
they reviewed, their valuable summaries do not detail how the chosen game mechanics
supported information literacy learning outcomes. Without detailing the mapping between
player behavior, specific mechanics and intended outcomes, it may be difficult to measure
the efficacy of information literacy games. This sentiment echoes the assertion made by
Markey et al. (2014), creators of the game BiblioBouts: although state-of-the-art literature
reviews of educational games show promise, specific “evaluations of online information
literacy games do not yet provide convincing evidence of their effectiveness”(p. 228).
Significance. This paper continues the work of Smale (2011) and Broussard (2012), providing
other researchers and practitioners an up-to-date review of digital games for information
literacy instruction from the last five years. The findings of this research, in turn, inform
possible design recommendations for practitioners and domain experts (such as librarians).
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