by David Lee King on January 29, 2007
I attended the ACRL Instruction Section Current Issue Digest and Discussion Forum on digital gaming in library instruction. It was pretty interesting – here are my notes, mainly on comments and questions I found interesting, in fairly random order (with two wicked cool ideas that came up, too):
- You could use Second Life as a platform to create a game
- Sight and hearing disabled students – can you meet ADA requirements with games?
- someone mentioned partnering with computer science departments to develop games
- Wicked Cool Idea #1: Someone is incorporating gaming language into classes – what a cool idea! They use “power ups” – they frame the the instruction session into a storyline, and use powerups (ie., boolean and, or, and not searches) when the powerups are needed.
- Someone mentioned the simulation games the military uses (in defense of if games work or not for instruction)
- Cold Stone Creamery uses a game during their initial employee training
- Someone mentioned the game Neverwinter Nights – it has an add-on that allows you to build customized modules. You could build a “find stuff in the library” type of game. You can even design the conversations in this game.
- Wicked Cool Idea #2: Someone uses Guess the Google in their instruction classes (it’s a guess what keyword is used to find what’s displayed on the screen). She has students yell out responses, it gets students into it, and it leads to discussion on keyword and phrase searching – in a much more fun way!
- Money and time were mentioned alot.
- Jenny Levine’s LTR on gaming was mentioned.
- One funny thing (to me) was discussed a little, too. I heard “is it in the literature?” and “is there empirical research of the educational impact… ” of educational gaming. Someone else mentioned they didn’t want to do it if it falls flat (I assume, in the literature again). I wasn’t feeling terribly brave that day, so I didn’t speak up … but I thought about saying this: “if you wait for “Empirical Research” and for games to appear in “The Literature,” you will be followers. The cool stuff isn’t created by following, but by innovating.
ALA_MW_2007, MW2007, ala2007
by David Lee King on January 25, 2007
Michael Porter and I decided to test out DDR, which was set up at ALA’s Techsource booth at the ALA Midwinter meeting just held in Seattle, WA. As you can see from the video, we had a good time!
Michael Porter and I decided to test out DDR, which was set up at ALA’s Techsource booth at the ALA Midwinter meeting just held in Seattle, WA. As you can see from the video, we had a good time!
Update: forgot to add – Beth Hoffman of the Adventures in Library School blog shot the video for me (I can’t dance, but I REALLY can’t dance and take shoot video at the same time!). Thanks Beth!
ALA_MW_2007, MW2007, ala2007
by David Lee King on October 16, 2006
From SmartMobs… Reuters has opened a news bureau inside Second Life. News.com has more: “Adam Pasick, a Reuters’ media correspondent based in London, will serve as the news organization’s first virtual bureau chief, using a personal avatar, or animated character, called “Adam Reuters,” in keeping with the game’s naming system.”
“As strange as it might seem, it’s not that different from being a reporter in the real world,” Pasick said. “Once you get used to it–it becomes very much like the job I have been doing for years.”
Wow – that’s one interesting job, huh? But did you see what the correspondent said? “…it’s not that different from being a reporter in the real world.” I’d have to guess it’d be the same for libraries!
Have you considered having a digital presence within Second Life?
second life, reuters
by David Lee King on October 4, 2006
David Freeman at Springfield-Greene Public Library spoke about gaming in libraries.
35% of American parents are gamers (and play WITH their kids)
12-18 year old males are the hardest group to get in the library. Gaming will do it!
Gaming adds huge credibility to your library for that age group.
Know what teens like to play – they might also like to read books or watch videos in that genre.
Suggestions on how to convice people that games are good:
- Read this book – How to Kill Monsters. From the book – young gamers tend to be less violent… people in jails tend to have less access and exposure to media of all types. Wow.
- Also the book – Everything Bad is Good for You
Gaming teaches social skills, reading skills, math skills, etc… it’s not just about the game itself.
Discussed the newer wII game coming out soon.
Gave a quick overview of game types, including console video games, online games like Runescape, board games, card games (ie., Yu-Gi-Oh), etc.
Incorporating games into programming:
- fantasy gaming nights (just set up tables and chairs, and turn them loose)
- monthly teen night – they let kids play Runescape after-hours! Some play Everquest or Neopets…
- Console gaming – cheap wireless headphones to cut down on sound, allow them to check out games at the desk, use it to support other programs (ie., use Ace Combat in a flying program), sports on the big screen – football or racing games are both popular
- the kids tend to self regulate themselves for time limits and other rules
- Game swap nights – trade your games with each other… (make sure to monitor for fairness)
- Retro gaming night (pong, pacman, etc)
Videotoaster – will run 8 Gamecubes, broadcast it, and send it to a big screen.
by David Lee King on May 30, 2006
I read this article on the Duke University website a few weeks ago, and was intrigued by what was said about incorporating gaming into the classroom. The article talked about the Center for Instructional Technology Showcase that was held on April 27, and I found the plenary session, titled “Serious Games: Digital Game-Based Learning in Higher Education” to be interesting. Here are some quotes from the article:
“If we [academics] can immerse students in an interactive story or
narrative, they’re motivated to work through problems and will
retain material more effectively than if they’re passively taking
notes in class.”
“State of the art 3-D graphics create the post-apocalyptic game
environment used in Sarbaum’s Econ 201, an introductory economics
course he will teach this coming fall at UNC-Greensboro. The game
will take the place of a standard introductory economics course. In
it, students play characters in a game involving aliens who have
crash landed, and have to use economic principles to survive. In
the course of doing so, they develop a society and engage in daily
struggles of supply and demand.”
“The hope is that by identifying with characters, the learning
will stick.”
That’s certainly one way to make an Econ class more interesting, huh? But here’s the deal – I can see the characters in the game needing to gather information, needing to do research in order to attain a goal in the game/class… and where might that information come from? I think it can come from librarians!
If the library works with the professor developing the class, the librarian can be the strategy guide in the game, helping the gamers/students attain information needed to attain goals (translation – get a good grade!).
Makes you think…
by David Lee King on April 21, 2006
I’m getting ready for my OPAL presentation in about an hour (making sure the laptop is working, is plugged in, the mic is on, etc).
And I thought I should mention – my presentation is being “simulcast!” Yes, you can hear my voice at OPAL… and you can also listen in by logging in to Second Life! How completely cool is that?
Sorta funny, too – I’m doing a webcast – so that’s a “digital presentation.” But then, in Second Life, it’s a digital presentation in a digital world… wow.
So – if you want to listen in via Second Life, go to Juanita (217,241). And go visit the Second Life Library 2.0 blog for details on logging into VOIP to listen to the presentation.
Second Life
by David Lee King on April 14, 2006
Second Life is so cool. I have explored the game/digital space a couple of times, well… because I like the whole idea of the virtual world/digital creative space thing.
So today, there are lots of posts about Second Life and libraries. The Alliance Library System and OPAL are doing a nifty experiment in Second Life – they plan to hold a few OPAL programs within Second Life, and … see what happens.
From this article at the Our Future blog: “The goal of the project is to promote the real library and online library services to adults who might not otherwise use the library.” Yet another way to reach out to potential library usurs, or to go where your [potential] patrons already are.
Is creating a digital avatar and holding a presentation in SL to attract library users any different from sending a children’s librarian to a school to do a book talk? Not really. Sure, the format is different… but the content and the goal is essentially the same.
Do your library patrons play Runescape? Do they like online services? If so, you might consider looking into Second Life. Or at the least, go create an avatar and explore this new, rapidly growing digital space.
second life, secondlife
by David Lee King on March 14, 2006
We just held our annual Staff Day last Friday, and it was a good one! For those interested, here’s some of what we did:
In the morning, we had food (very important at any Staff Day event). Then our library director spoke about change, his projections for the next year, and about his trip with the Urban Libraries Council to Singapore and Hong Kong. Then a comedy troupe performed for us for about an hour, and did all sorts of team building types of skits (yes, that involved us).
Then we had a set of breakout sessions. I was one of those – I did a shortened version of my Introduction to Web 2.0 presentation – it went well, with lots of questions and comments the rest of the day.
Other morning breakout sessions – View from the Other Side of the Counter: Managing Customer Service Perspectives, Creating Stress Resilience, See No Movies? Hear No Music? Speak No Catalog?, and Kansas City Hot Spots. Three IT staffers did the “See No Movies” session – they focused on new things to do on our public PCs, like how to download an MP3 file, how to burn a CD, etc.
Lunch came next, along with a gaming demonstration – DDR (Dance Dance Revolution Extreme, to be exact) for anyone who wanted to experience it. Everyone thought it was extremely fun (or funny, depending on one’s point of view). As you can see from the photo, there was definitely a crowd!
Then afternoon breakout sessions. Crystal, who attended the Gaming in Libraries conference in December, spoke about games, and what our gaming taskforce is planning to submit to management group. Great presentation, and it really got a lot of staff talking and thinking about games, programming around games, and what our library can do to reach out to the gaming community.
Other afternoon breakout sessions? Let’s Play Yan-Koloba, Healthy Habits, Storytelling Adventures, and a tour of the Central Library.
Then more food – check out this video of the two chocolate fondue pots that were set up! After the short break, we participated in a team-building exercize, then had a closing Q&A time with the director, gave out awards, and held a raffle.
In general, here’s what went on: change, Web 2.0, gaming, new technology, customer service, and team-building. Yes, and food. All great things to talk about in a library!
What does your library do? Is there time for staff to get together, discuss possibilities for the next year, learn something new, and celebrate doing a good job as a team? If not, I’d suggest starting – what’s not to love about these things?
by David Lee King on January 26, 2006
We now have a gaming taskforce at my library! The taskforce’s goal is to create a gaming plan for our library system, and report back to our management group… then the management group will decide where to go from there.
So we now have a gaming taskforce group email account, and I have a couple of email and computer gaming folders… wow.
And I also did some brainstorming on gaming at the library today, and thought I’d share it. It’s not neccessarily what we’ll be doing – just my thoughts. But some of you might be interested in them, nonetheless… so:
David’s Gaming Goals
- console gaming
- set up networked game system at each location
- it should be movable
- create programming around the equipment
- game nights
- parent/kid game challenges/learning
- branch/location challenge tournaments
- how to play types of training
- health DDR programming
- train staff in use
- create web help guides for console gaming
- how to play
- where to play – highlight programming
- cheats and other online pointers
- online gaming
- create web guides for popular games
- i.e., Runescape
- basics of play
- cheats and other online pointers
- create programming around games
- how to play
- introduction to online gaming – what they are
- Little Kid’s gaming
- provide clear pointers to games like Neopets.com
- create web guides for popular games
- how to play
- cheats and other online pointers
- where the games can be found
- circulating games
- buy top 25 games in one format
- same format of equipment we purchase
- some for each branch
- patron gamers
- books on games
- game theory (everything bad is good for you)
- how to play (Dummies guides, etc)
- young adult novels with gaming plots
- movies?
- Magazines
- phase two
- Challenge other libraries
- challenge other library system to a tournament
- see if they can be networked tournaments
- Teen Center in Central
- Take gaming to the community
- Set up mobile gaming unit
- create school programming/learning opportunities
- take it to community groups
- take it to church youth groups in KCPL area?
- have a library component, too
- one idea – to play, you have to have a library card
- or you have to sign up for a library card
