DIGITAL GAMES CAN BE USED TO
INSPIRE CREATIVITY AND SELF-ACTUALIZED LEARNING
Like other games, digital games used in information literacy instruction should meet the learning intention of the lesson. While commercial games may meet those criteria, many digital gaming platforms allow students to create their own games and share them with classmates as a way to foster creativity and in-depth learning.
DIGITAL GAMES: Sandbox & Action-Adventure examples
DIGITAL GAMES: Information Literacy examples
READY REFERENCE
Quiz Game
Phishing Quiz
DIGITAL GAMES: News & Media Lit examples
In this game developed by DROG, a Netherlands-based organization aimed at fighting misinformation, users play the role of a fake news writer. The goal: Get as many followers as you can while building up bogus credibility. You lose if you tell “obvious lies or disappoint your supporters.” A recent study from the University of Cambridge found that playing Bad News increases “psychological resistance” to misinformation. Lesson
The BBC launched this game in 2018 in a bid to help children ages 11-18 identify misinformation online. The choose-your-own-adventure game puts users in the shoes of a BBC journalist who has to decide which social media posts, political claims and photos they can trust. Tips on how to spot online fakery are included. Teacher's Guide
Developed by a master’s student at Indiana University, Fakey is a game similar to iReporter. It simulates a social media news feed, where users are asked which posts they’d like to share, like or fact-check. Users score points by sharing content from credible news outlets and fact-checking questionable sources.
This online simulation from the Annenberg Public Policy Center and iCivics, an education nonprofit, aims to teach people how to evaluate sources online. Users pick their own avatar and are tasked with choosing which posts to curate on their website and which to investigate.
Having made a splash with its debut in 2018, this game, developed by American University, clocked about 1.6 million articles played in the first three days of its existence. What does that mean? In Factitious, users have to read short news stories and swipe right if they think they’re real and swipe left if they think they’re fake.
This role-playing card game was developed by the IFCN for International Fact-Checking Day on April 2. It takes place in a fictional country where players have to operate a newsroom and verify 25 different news items that will inform editorials published on the day of an election.
Checkology’s lessons and other resources show learners how to navigate today’s challenging information landscape. Students will learn how to identify credible information, seek out reliable sources, and apply critical thinking skills to separate fact-based content from falsehoods. (Source) With the Informable app, learners can test their news literacy know-how. Score points for accuracy and speed across three levels of difficulty in four distinct modes. (Source)
Created by the Clemson University Media Forensics Lab, Spot the Troll is an online quiz where the player examines images of real social media content and decides whether it's from a legitimate account or an internet troll.
Harmony Square is a short, free-to-play online game in which players learn how political misinformation is produced and spread. The game confers psychological resistance against manipulation techniques commonly used in political misinformation: players from around the world find social media content making use of these techniques significantly less reliable after playing, are more confident in their ability to spot such content, and less likely to report sharing it with others in their network. (Source)
10. SOURCE CHECKER
The Sources activity invites students to apply the skills and knowledge that they have acquired from the resources. They can test their ability to discern between reliable and unreliable sources of information and come to conclusions about the currency and accuracy of information presented and the purpose of the written piece. (Source)