I’ve been seeing and reading so much about gaming and its relevance to libraries that there is no way I could summarize it all on this blog (especially since a lot of the research has been done for my book and I wouldn’t want to spoil the ending \ud83d\ude09 ). But I would like to point people interested in the subject to some really great recent articles, blog posts, and other resources:<\/p>\n
I think the discussion on gaming in libraries takes a few primary routes. There’s talk about using gaming as a library service in and of itself (gaming nights, gamerooms, circulating games, etc.). There’s also talk about game-based learning, which is all about learning things within the context of a game. This could involve providing reference assistance in a MMOG (Masively Multiplayer Online Game) using avatars, teaching information literacy within a first-person shooter, and more. Finally, there’s talk about what educators can learn from gaming — how young people are engaged, what sort of positive reinforcement they need to continue with a frustrating task, and how they learn.<\/p>\n
I think the first topic has been covered a lot in the biblioblogosphere, but the latter two have not. Here are some things I found interesting with regard to the subjects of game-based learning and what educators can learn from gaming:<\/p>\n
Cool Resources on Game-Based Learning<\/strong><\/p>\n Van Eck, Richard. Digital Game-Based Learning: It’s Not Just the Digital Natives Who Are Restless<\/a>. EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 41, no. 2 (March\/April 2006): 16\u201330.<\/p>\n Bibliographic Gaming<\/a> is a great new blog that highlights the use of gaming to teach information literacy. It could be an excellent space for sharing ideas and research on game-based learning.<\/p>\n I heard this extremely cool news on Jenny Levine’s blog<\/a>. Apparently, OPAL<\/a> and the Alliance Library System<\/a> have teamed up to offer library programming within the MMOG Second Life<\/a>. They will be offering book discussions, training session and other programming to people in Second Life. What a neat way to reach people who may not otherwise use the library! People have been talking about providing virtual reference and whatnot inside MMOGs for a while, but, as far as I know, this will be the first time that real library programming will take place within an online game. They have set up a Google Group<\/a> where people can discuss this new idea (note: you need to apply to join the group).<\/p>\n Jean-Claude Bradley<\/a>, a Chemistry professor at Drexel University with whom I had the pleasure of working on HigherEd BlogCon, has done some amazing things with game-based learning in his classes. Check out his collaborative EduFrag blog<\/a> on game-based learning, which is a tremedous resource for those interested in pratical uses of gaming in the classroom. Also check out the EduFrag wiki<\/a> which includes a link to an article describing how he used the first-person shooter game Unreal Tournament<\/a> to teach organic chemistry. Jean-Claude is doing so much amazing stuff with social software and gaming — he is a seriously<\/em> cool guy. <\/p>\n Resources on what educators can learn from gaming<\/strong><\/p>\n Gaming the System: What Higher Education Can Learn from Multiplayer Online Worlds<\/a> by J.C. Herz<\/p>\n Reality Bytes: Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked<\/a> by Henry Jenkins of MIT. (Also check out this blog post<\/a> that debunks some of the things that Jenkins asserts).<\/p>\n Meet the Gamers<\/a> by Kurt Squire & Constance Steinkuehler, in Library Journal<\/em>. <\/p>\n