Power up: Gaps in and opportunities for gaming in LIS Curricula.
The .pdf file of our poster can be found here.
Jonathan M. Hollister, PhD
Information Institute
Florida State University
jhollister@fsu.edu
Aaron J. Elkins, PhD
School of Library & Information Studies
Texas Woman’s University
aelkins3@twu.edu
Art by Javi Hernandez
Abstract
With a growing, diverse user base and increasing accessibility and ubiquity, games are fast becoming integral parts of the collections and programming offered by libraries. Research has shown that good games, even recreational ones, help players engage or develop useful skills and knowledge, such as digital literacy, problem-solving, pro-social, and other skills needed for success and social progress in the 21st Century. Despite the popularity and educational potential of games, we found there are very few courses offered by American Library Association (ALA) accredited degree programs which explicitly cover games and gaming, leaving librarians and information professionals potentially unprepared to work with or use games. This works in progress poster reports on the early stages of a multi-method research project exploring the presence (or absence) of games and gaming in ALA-accredited degree programs in the United States. The poster presents current examples of and potential opportunities for courses that address gaming, and strategies for integrating games and game-based learning into existing curricula. The presenters will invite attendees to participate in a simple game during the poster session to demonstrate the power of gaming and its potential to inspire community engagement. The next stages of this project, a survey of and interviews with LIS instructors that discuss or use games in their classes, will also be outlined.
Keywords: Games, Gaming, Game-Based Learning, LIS Education, Curricula Assessment
References
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Nicholson, S. (2013). Playing in the past: A history of games, toys, and puzzles in North American Libraries. The Library Quarterly, 83(4), 341–361.
Jonathan M. Hollister, PhD, MSLIS 