WHY

NOW MORE THAN EVER, INDIVIDUALS NEED

INFORMATION LITERACY SKILLS

"Information literacy lies at the core of lifelong learning. Information literacy empowers people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use and create information effectively to achieve their personal, social, occupational and educational goals. It is a basic human right in a digital world and promotes inclusion in all nations. " ( Alexandria Proclamation of 2005, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions)

When it comes to making decisions related to their goals, people may find themselves reading, seeking, rereading and sharing information as they weigh their options and attempt to exercise their basic human right to make the best choices for themselves, their families and their communities.

At times like these, the connectedness individuals share with those around them through technology and the ease in which information is created, shared and consumed can be both a positive and a negative. The constant flow of content in the form of written word, video, audio and even memes can quickly become formidable. Strong information literacy skills are the tools needed in order to overcome this challenge. By providing crucial information literacy instruction through game play, librarians engage and motivate students and patrons to learn and apply this life-saving knowledge and skills.

MORE PEOPLE ARE PLAYING MORE GAMES MORE WAYS MORE OFTEN

Play is an important component of human growth and development. "Often described as children’s work, it is the primary vehicle for discovery, creativity, joy, and practice."(1) Humans are inclination to play; play provides a foundation for cognitive skill development, builds a participant’s sense of belonging and increases their ability to work through complex social and emotional scenarios.

Games are formalized expressions of play with roots in the earliest human cultures. During game play, participants are actively using 21st century cognitive skills such as "negotiating, improvising, communicating, critical thinking, problem-solving, taking risks, sharing ideas, perspective-taking, creating, and learning from mistakes." (2) Games are a proven way to deliver needed information literacy knowledge, skills and practice. opportunities. Why?

Games rely on competition and challenge with the goal of an epic win to motivate and engage players. The enjoyment of the game-based learning activity creates intrinsic motivation in players who then persevere towards mastery. As they encounter and overcome challenges, players also experience autonomy, a sense of competence and a related connectivity between the game and content. Well designed games can induce a state called the Theory of Flow, which is the state of full immersion, in players. Flow is the deep concentration necessary for retention and eventual mastery of content. Because information literacy skills are so crucial to a student's success, it is important and necessary to teach these skills in ways that foster deep learning and long term retention. With research to prove it, game-based learning has that potential.

(1) (2) Source

GENRE OF GAMES

REASONS PEOPLE PLAY GAMES

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RESULTS OF GAME PLAY

The result of game play is Super-Powdered Hopeful Individuals who believe that they are individually capable of overcoming a challenge or conflict in order to achieve a goal.

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Our world needs super-powdered, hopeful individuals, armed with crucial critical thinking and information literacy skills, to battle the forces of mis- , dis- and mal-information.

Using games, librarians can take their students to the next level in their quests to find the
treasure trove of facts that will solve their information needs.

That would be an EPIC WIN for all of us!