Gaming, Wikis and Information Literacy 2.0
Adjunct Faculty Meeting January 23, 2008

Socially constructed resources are part of the new wave of Internet technologies - but why would you want to use a game or a wiki in your classroom? Explore the possibilities of incorporating these new technologies into your classes to improve your students' information literacy skills.

Why use these Internet technologies?
Educating the Net Generation, A New EDUCAUSE e-Book

Gaming and Learning: Games are being used for a variety of instructional uses.
Articles on Gaming:
Games and Simulations from Educause Research suggests that games and simulations can play a significant role in facilitating learning through engagement, group participation, immediate feedback, and providing real-world contexts.

"Digital Game- Based Learning" by Richard Van Eck from EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 41, no. 2 (March/April 2006): 16–30.- With the widespread public interest in games as learning tools, DGBL proponents now need to explain why games are engaging and effective. Research has shown:
-Digital game based learning is powerful.
-Net generation or "digital natives" have become disengaged with traditional instruction.
-Increased popularity of the games.

"Virtually a New Way of Learning: Video Games AND Simulations AS TEACHING TOOLS " or PDF version Len Annetta. MultiMedia & Internet@Schools. Medford: Nov/Dec 2007. Vol. 14, Iss. 6; p. 9 (5 pages) Proquest Education Journal Database

[PPT] Unlocking the Potential of Gaming Technology The Nintendo generation has reached college age. Raised in the presence of video, console and computer games, students in their twenties may have more years experience with games than with reading.

"Parallel Worlds: Online Games and Digital Information Services "by Kirriemuir D-Lib Magazine, December 2005, Volume 11 Number 12

"Game-Based Learning: How to Delight and Instruct in the 21st Century," by Joel Foreman, EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 39, no. 5 (September/October 2004), pp. 51–66.

"Simulations, Games, and Learning," by Diana Oblinger ELI White Paper, May 2006.

The Education Arcade explores games that promote learning through authentic and engaging play.

Digiplay -- a bibliography of academic articles on digital games

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Examples of Education Games:
Greensboro Information Literacy Game

National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education (NITLE) Research: Casual Games - site identifies an array of computer games that are playable through Web browsers. Their content can be action, puzzle, simulation, storytelling, point-and-click exploration, or any other genre, and their tone can be comic, tragic, neutral, playful, political, or other.

Public Health Games on the Web University of Illinois-Chicago. The Center for the Advancement of Distance Education in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois-Chicago develops and maintains the PublicHealthGames.com site. It provides state-of-the-art games and simulations for public health workers and emergency responders to help them train for a multitude of catastrophic scenarios.

Free/Open Source Software
Game Maker, Delta 3D, Blender, Panda3D

Wikis:
Wiki are used for educational purposes from the well known Wikipedia to individual uses in classes. Have students participate in the learning process. Set up a classroom wiki.
"The word "wiki" is not an acronym but rather (according to Ward Cunningham, currently at Microsoft Corporation, who coined the term) "a [Hawaiian word] used as an alliterative substitute for quick, to avoid naming this [software] quick-Web." from the article 7 Things you should know about...Wikis

Articles on Wikis:
7 Things you should know about ...Wikis from Educause PDF Version "Wikis are Web pages that can be viewed and modified by anyone with a Web browser and Internet access. Described as a composition system, a discussion medium, and a repository, wikis support asynchronous communication and group collaboration online.

Wikis and Podcasts and Blogs! Oh My! What is a faculty member supposed to do? by Patricia McGee and Veronica Diaz from Educause. Given the demands of teaching, service, and research, faculty are today expected to embrace learning technologies along with everything else.

Adjunct Faculty Wiki.

Where to join and design a wiki:
PB Wiki
Free Version for Educators - Increase student engagement using a safe online wiki.

Examples of PB Wikis

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Information Literacy:
Information Literacy is "the ability to locate, evaluate, and use information to become independent life-long learners" - Commission on Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Criteria for Accreditation, Section 5.1.2 [Library and Other Information Resources] Services . 10th ed. Dec. 1996. (URL:http://www.sacs.org/pub/coc/cri70.htm#SECTION IV)

In the above succinct definition much of the substance of information literacy is lost. Therefore a more comprehensive definition is useful. Jeremy J. Shapiro and Shelley K. Hughes provide a more detailed definition in their article: "Information Literacy as a Liberal ART"

Information Literacy Workshop Many resources and handouts on information literacy and how to construct an information literacy assignment for your class.

There are many web sites for more information on Information Literacy. A few are below:
National Forum on Information Literacy

Association of College and Research Libraries Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education

Institute for Information Literacy (ACRL)

Directory of Online Resources for Information Literacy

Technology in the Classroom:
There are many new technologies to enhance student learning.

Library resources using technology:
Library Databases
Persistent Links

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Other Resources for Technology in the Classroom:

Perfect Little Programs: http://student.ccbcmd.edu/immt/plp.htmEssex web site with animated short lessons - students in Multimedia program will design & develop a program for your lesson.PLP Projects Page. Please fill out PLP Project Proposal Forms.
Maryland Faculty Online
Resources & Activities from Maryland Faculty Online

UMUC Virtual Resource Site for Teaching with Technology
Assignments arranged according to their use in different Web-based technologies.
Related Resources List of technology related resources from UMUC Virtual Resource Site.

MERLOT is a free and open resource designed primarily for faculty and students of higher education. Links to online learning materials are collected here along with annotations such as peer reviews and assignments. Includes these subject areas: Arts, Business, Education, Humanities, Mathematics, Science and Technology,Social Sciences.

Educational Technology-Related Publications from the University of Nevada
T.H.E. Journal -Selection of articles on teaching and technology. Includes section Road Map to the Web for Educators II, which features extensive links to web resources.

WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuests are designed to use learners' time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.Find other WebQuests

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