It Was Fun but...: Lessons Learned from Creating an Information Literacy Board Game

Each year, librarians at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga revise the curriculum used in one-shot freshman English library instruction sessions. In the summer of 2013, librarians decided to shake up the way they taught students about the research process by developing an original information literacy board game. The product of these efforts, The Game of Research, is a 5 player board game complete with original game board, tokens, and money. Modeled after the Game of Life, the Game of Research simulates a student’s choices during the college-level research process. The goal of The Game of Research is to move beyond the “point and click”, mechanical instruction model in favor of creating a reflective, active learning activity that develops information literacy skills in a new and interesting way. Over the course of the year, the game underwent testing, refinement, and one major overhaul in order to better address learning objectives and diverse learning styles. This presentation will discuss the challenges and opportunities discovered through creating this unique active learning game including assessment, design, and developing faculty buy-in