Not So Trivial Pursuit:

A Technology Proposal

By: Arielle HesslerUniversity at Buffalo

A Proposal to Create a Mobile Gaming Application for Information Literacy at Stony Brook University

❖ 2013 Needs Assessment shows that librarian-taught information literacy (IL) classes are unknown to 60% of undergraduates

❖ IL classes are not incorporated into typical undergraduate classes such as orientation classes, Writing 101, History 101, etc.

Undergraduate students are unaware of the many library resources, including: physical and electronic resources, citation help, databases, library subject guides, and study space.

The Problem: Information Literacy

Why Does is Matter?: Money

The more these resources

get used, the better.

❖ 50% of students are undergraduates, but use less than 25% of all library resources.

(SB Libraries Needs Assessment, 2013)

❖ The Libraries spend millions every year for resources needed by faculty and graduate students.

(SBU Libraries 2013 Budget)

Why Does is Matter?: MissionSupport the University Mission to:❖ “to provide comprehensive

undergraduate, graduate, and professional education of the highest quality”

❖ “to carry out research and intellectual endeavors of the highest international standards that advance knowledge and have immediate or long-range practical significance”

(Stony Brook University Mission Statement)

“Students who access library resources dooutperform students

who don't.”(Cox, B. & Jantii, M., 2012)

Figure 1. Correlation between electronic resource usage and student grades (Cox, B. & Jantii, M., 2012)

Past Attempts: Classes and Outreach

Information Literacy ClassesThe library has low enrollment in its IL classes. They are not included in any sort of introductory class, such as Writing 101 or Freshman Seminar, unless the teacher requests it. Recent attempts to reach more students include: electronic versions of classes available on the library website, and increased advertising of classes on the website.

Student Outreach and MarketingOutreach and marketing at SBU Libraries has historically been about advertisment, not engagement. Website ads, flyers, and outreach activities invited no participation; students were passive observers. SBU Libraries needs to concentrate on engaging the student community in fun and interesting ways, that are also educational.

Solution: Not So Trivial Pursuit

A mobile application trivia game for SBU Libraries that teaches information literacy, & library policies, spaces, and resources.

Why a Mobile Game App?

“The purpose of games as learning should be to make every learner a proactive, collaborative, reflective, critical, creative, and innovative problem solver; a producer with technology and not just a consumer; and a fully engaged participant and not just a spectator in civic life and the public sphere.” (Gee, J. 2013)

❖ It’s Familiar: The majority of incoming undergraduates and transfer students at SBU are digital natives, and grew up with this technology (Smale, 2011)

❖ It’s Engaging: Students will be actively engaging in the learning, instead of passively listening to a lecture (Smale, 2011)

❖ It’s Proven: Other academic libraries have supplemented their IL classes with games, and have documented great results.

Who’s doing it? A Few Examples

❖ Arizona State University- Quarantined:

Axl Wise and the Information Outbreak http://www.asu.edu/lib/game/ (Gallegos &

Allgood, 2008)

❖ The University of North Carolina- The

Information LIteracy Game https://library.uncg.edu/game/ (Rice, S.

2008)

❖ Lycoming College- Secret Agents in the

Library http://www.lycoming.edu/library/instruct

ion/tutorials/secretAgent.aspx (Broussard,

2010)

❖ James Madison University- Face the

Case, Citation Tic-Tac-Toe, & Magnetic Keyword http://www.lib.jmu.edu/games/ (McCabe &

Wise, 2009)

❖ Ohio State University - Head Hunt

http://library.osu.edu/headhunt/ (O’Hanlon,

Diaz, & Roecker, 2007)

❖ Carnegie Melon University- I’ll Get It!

& Within Range https://libwebspace.library.cmu.edu/libraries-and-collections/Libraries/etc/ (Beck,

Callison, Fudrow, & Hood, 2008)

How Will a Game Help Teach IL?

Questions will be designed to target the following ACRL Information Literacy Standards: ❖ The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the

information needed❖ The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and

efficiently.❖ The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically

and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.

❖ The information literate student understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally.

(ACRL, 2015)

How Will a Game Help Market the Library?

Questions on: ❖ Branch Libraries & Collections❖ Physical Resources (A/V

materials, all media formats, books, etc.)

❖ Electronic Resources (databases, electronic journals, electronic books, etc.)

❖ Library Hours & Policies❖ LibGuides & Subject Guides❖ Annual Library Outreach

Events

Change Perspective:A fun game will help overcome old library stereotypes, and help students view us in a more favorable, fresh way.

Not So Trivial Pursuit:The Rules

❖ The game app will be a 1:1 game between players.

❖ Players are chosen at random by the app based on each player’s individual skill level in the game

❖ Each player will have 48 hours to answer for their turn before they forfeit the game

The Mobile App: Players

How to Win

The game is modeled as a hybrid between Trivial Pursuit, the board game, and Trivia Crack, the popular quiz app.

There are 6 categories, and players spin a wheel to determine what question category they will get next. If they get a question right, they get an “book” in that color.

The first to get all 6 ‘books,’ wins the game.

Questions CategoriesWheel is Spun to Determine Question Category:

Not So

Trivial

Pursuit

6 Categories of Questions:

Access Services

Branch Libraries

Special Collections

Library Technology

Central Reading Room

Wildcard

All questions are multiple choice, with 4 answers for the player to choose from. Some questions use images that the user has to identify.

If the player gets a question wrong, they will be shown the right answer, along with a brief message about it.

Question Format

Access ServicesQuestions about Inter-Library Loan (ILL), Circulation, Main Stacks, Library of Congress Classification, Scanning & Copying, Study Space, and Borrowing Policies.

How are videos and

DVDs arranged?

a. alphabetically by title

b. by genre

c. in the order they

were received

d. by their

rottentomatoes.com

rating

CORRECT!

b. in the order they

were received

If you ever need help

locating a video, just ask

us and we’ll help you find

it!

Nope! The

answer is...

b. in the order they

were received

If you ever need help

locating a video, just ask

us and we’ll help you find

it!

OR

Branch LibrariesQuestions dealing with the policies and collections of: MASIC, South Hampton Library, Math/Physics/Astronomy, Chemistry, Music, Science & Engineering, and Health Sciences

When a magazine

periodical is not

available in the Music

Library, an alternative

option is to use:

a. Inter-Library Loan

b. Search databases for

an online journal

c. Ask for help at the

reference desk

d. all of the above

CORRECT!

d. All of the above

All of those options

would be great choices!

And if you get truly

stumped, remember that

the reference desk is the

place to go.

Nope! The

answer is…d. All of the above

All of those options

would be great choices!

And if you get truly

stumped, remember that

the reference desk is the

place to go.

OR

Special Collections (SPEC)Questions concerning the collections and policies of Special Collections and University Archives. Hours, policies, popular collections, what to expect from a visit, etc.

What should

researchers in the

SPEC reading room

use to take notes?

a. a blue or black pen

b. a computer or tablet

c. a marker

d. a pencil

CORRECT!

d. a pencil

Computers are rarely

allowed in SPEC for

security reasons, and the

other choices could

potentially harm older

works if there’s an

accident. Pencils are the

safest option!

Nope! The

answer is…

d. a pencil

Computers are rarely

allowed in SPEC for

security reasons, and the

other choices could

potentially harm older

works if there’s an

accident. Pencils are the

safest option!

OR

Library TechnologyQuestions concerning digital collections, the library website, electronic resources, virtual reference, interactive digital study spaces, etc.

What does CoLA

stands for?

a. Collaborative

Learning Center

b. Coca Cola

c. Commuter Lounge

Area

d. Community Library

Awareness

CORRECT!

a. Collaborative

Learning Center

CoLA lab areas are high

tech, digital collaborative

work spaces available

(by appt.) for students to

use when working in

groups for class work

and research.

Nope! The

answer is...a. Collaborative

Learning Center

CoLA lab areas are high

tech, digital collaborative

work spaces available

(by appt.) for students to

use when working in

groups for class work

and research.

OR

Central Reading Room (CRR)CRR is the main reference room at SBU Libraries. Questions include: reference desk and policies, virtual reference, library chat, subject guides, IL classes, etc.

Which of the

following can NOT be

done at the reference

desk?

a. ask for books about

frogs

b. receive staples and

paper clips

c. return your library

books

d. learn more about

plagiarism

CORRECT!

c. return your library

books

Lots of stuff can be done

at the CRR reference

desk, but returning

books can only be done

at the book drop at the

library entrance, or at a

circulation desk in one of

the libraries.

Nope! The

answer is…c. return your library

books

Lots of stuff can be done

at the CRR reference

desk, but returning

books can only be done

at the book drop at the

library entrance, or at a

circulation desk in one of

the libraries.

OR

WildcardThe Wildcard category can be a question from any other category, or about things that defied categorization: IL classes, outreach events, and just for fun questions.

Who is this character

from the Hobbit?

a. King Thranduil

b. Bilbo Baggins

c. Lord Elrond

d. Legolas

CORRECT!

a. King Thranduil

Popular DVDs like The

Hobbit trilogy can be

taken out from the library

for free! If there’s

something you want that

we don’t have, just ask!

Maybe we’ll order it.

Nope! The

answer is…a. King Thranduil

Popular DVDs like The

Hobbit trilogy can be

taken out from the library

for free! If there’s

something you want that

we don’t have, just ask!

Maybe we’ll order it.

OR

Impact of Not So Trivial Pursuit

Improvements❖ Hope that students will absorb

more information when IL and library information is presented in a fun and engaging way.

❖ Information is marketed in a non-threatening way. The teacher/student dynamic can sometimes be unpalatable to individuals.

❖ Learning will be organic, not forced.

Changes❖ Traditional IL classes can be

flipped- teachers can assign their students the app before the IL class, leaving IL classes to cover more specifics and be more relevant to students or specific class material.

Short & Long Term Impacts

Short Term❖ Higher circulation statistics,

especially for A/V materials and media

❖ Interest among university faculty for incorporation into classes

❖ Students begin to use library resources as tools, and not just for study space.

❖ Higher rates of IL among students

Long Term ❖ Increased use of Library

Resources- especially electronic resources

❖ Better quality of reference desk and virtual chat questions

❖ Reduced amount of plagiarism cases on campus.

❖ Greater standing for the library on campus and among faculty

Development & Implementation

Plan for Implementation

This gives time to develop, test, and finalize the app, while also giving time to develop marketing strategies and user surveys to determine impact.

Not So Trivial Pursuit will plan to launch in Fall, 2016.

Android and Apple

Depending on how well Not So Trivial Pursuit does in Fall, 2016, the app will be changed and made available for Apple devices as well for Spring 2017.

VS

While Apple accounts for highest smartphone seller in the US, Android is the most sold operating system, with over 53% of the market. Apple is a close second with 41%. (Hahn, J., 2015)

Development Timeline

June-December 2015: Develop application to Beta phase for Android.

January 2016: Library faculty and staff test Beta version.

February 2016: Make all improvements recommended from testing.

March 2016: Test final version on library student staff and focus groups of

students.

April 2016: Finalize any changes. Get application available for download for

Android devices.

May-June 2016: Form tutorial for website on how to play the game.

June-September 2016: Market game to faculty and departments

August 2016: Launch Not So Trivial Pursuit for Android

Development & Support

Development & Upkeep❖ Initial programming and

development: Arielle Hessler

❖ Final Programming: Library Technology Department

❖ Support and Upkeep: Library Technology Department

Support❖ All public service staff

will receive basic training to help students with related questions

❖ Help page will be developed for the app on the library website

Challenges

Time: The main challenge to this

project will be the time needed by the developers to work on this project among their other duties. Fortunately, SBU Libraries just hired 4 new programmers for its developing Library Technology Department to take on digital initiatives and projects such as this.

Updates: Unlike a website, which can

stand for quite a long while before needing updates, this app will have to be updated often to reflect any operating system (OS) upgrades on phones, and to fix any glitches. This will cause more time to be dedicated by library programmers than if it was a stand alone website.

Challenges

Cost: This proposal is virtually

free. There would be no need to hire outside developers, as all the work would be performed by library employees. Any hosting fees would be absorbed into the new Library Technology budget. If the application is successful, it has the potential to make money in the form of advertisements and selling the technology to other Universities for customization

Life Expectancy: Popular

social media apps and game apps are updated anywhere from every 15-60 days (Kimura, 2014). Our app will be used on a much smaller scale, so it is estimated that it will encounter less problems, and will have to be updated less often. However, 3-4 times a year seems a conservative estimate for needed updates. Questions may also need to be updated as library policies and resources change.

Plan of Evaluation:Surveys, Statistics, and Focus Groups

Evaluation

❖ Before and after surveys are necessary to prove effectiveness

❖ Focus groups for game specific feedback

❖ In-game user statistics will track learning curve for users

❖ In-game survey

Determining Success

By User Statistics: In game

statistics per user will show if their ratio of correct answers to wrong ones increases over time. If for long time app users their answers are becoming increasingly right and their wrong answers are diminishing, then they are learning from the app.

Increased use of library resources and space: If after the

app has launched there is a sudden, unexplained jump in library usage, there may be a correlation between the game and library use.

Before and After Surveys: Before launching the app, survey undergraduates university wide through e-mail about their research habits. Survey again after the app is launched for a year to look for any increase.

Finally…. Lets Play!

Jump on board the education Game Train.

References

Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2015, from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency

Beck, D., Callison, R., Fudrow, J., & Hood, D. (2008). Your library instruction is in another castle: Developing information literacy-based videogames at Carnegie Mellon University. In A. Harris & S. E. Rice (Eds.), Gaming in academic libraries: Collections, marketing and information literacy (pp. 135-148). Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries.

Broussard, M. J. S. (2010). Secret agents in the library: Integrating virtual and physical games in a small academic library. College & Undergraduate Libraries, 17(1), 20-30.

Cox, B., & Jantii, M. (2012). Discovering the Impact of Library Use and Student Performance. EDUCAUSE Review Online, May/June 2012.

Gallegos, B., & Allgood, T. (2008). The Fletcher Library game project. In A. Harris & S. E. Rice (Eds.), Gaming in academic libraries: Collections, marketing and information literacy (pp. 149-163). Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries.

Gee, J. (2007). Good video games good learning: Collected essays on video games, learning, and literacy. New York: P. Lang.

References

Hahn, J. (2015, March 8). Apple starts 2015 as the top U.S. smartphone maker, Android as the top smartphone OS. Retrieved from: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apple-starts-2015-as-the-top-u-s-smartphone-maker-android-as-the-top-smartphone-os/

Kimura, H. (2014, April 5). 25 Top iOS Apps and Their Version Update Frequencies. Retrieved from https://blog.sensortower.com/blog/2014/04/15/25-top-ios-apps-and-their-version-update-frequencies/

McCabe, J., & Wise, S. (2009). It‟s all fun and games until someone learns something: Assessing the learning outcomes of two educational games. Evidence Based Library & Information Practice, 4(4), 6-23.

Office of the President. Stony Brook University Mission Statement. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2, 2015, from http://www.stonybrook.edu/pres/mission.html

O’Hanlon, N., Diaz, K., & Roecker, F. (2007). A game-based multimedia approach to library orientation. In B. Sietz, S. deVries, S. Fabian, R. Stevens, E. C. Uyeki, & A. Wallace (Eds.), Uncharted waters: tapping the depths of our community to enhance learning. Proceedings, Thirty-Fifth National LOEX Library Instruction Conference (pp. 105-109). Ypsilanti, MI: LOEX Press.

References

Rice, S. E. (2008). Education on a shoestring: Creating an online information literacy game. In A. Harris & S. E. Rice (Eds.), Gaming in academic libraries: Collections, marketing and information literacy (pp. 175-188). Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries.

Smale, M. (2011). Learning Through Quests and Contests: Games in Information Literacy Instruction. Journal of Library Innovation, 2(2), 36-55.