Conference paper
A Game-based Learning Approach to Information Literacy: Knovel Global Academic Challenge
Association for Engineering Education - Engineering Library Division Papers
26 Jun 2016
Abstract
Academic librarians have launched multiple efforts to address 21st century information literacy needs of students and faculty, such as the usage of databases. Despite these efforts, undergraduate students remain largely unfamiliar with their usage. Knovel (recently acquired by Elsevier) provides an online library of engineering-focused content, serving more than 700 customers worldwide, including over 400 universities. The Knovel Academic Challenge is a global game designed to highlight key features of the Knovel Academic Collection, which includes 3500 reference items and 90,000 interactive tables, graphs, and equations. In this work, we investigate how online games can be used to promote database literacy. In previous years, challenge questions were comprised of interactive equation references, unit conversions, derivatives, and periodic table lookups. For the Fall 2015 challenge, a committee of students at Drexel University developed a brand new set of questions based on contemporary engineering grand challenges. To generate on campus engagement in the challenge, we organized hackathon-inspired “Knovel marathon” nights in which undergraduate and graduate students solved the challenge, the vast majority of them using Knovel for the first time. We observed high levels of engagement and enthusiasm during the marathon, demonstrating how games can be used to demonstrate key functionalities of databases and library resources, and their application to academic research workflows.
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Details
- Title
- A Game-based Learning Approach to Information Literacy: Knovel Global Academic Challenge
- Creators
- Daniel Christe - Drexel UniversitySavannah Lee - Drexel UniversityRishiraj Mathur - Drexel UniversityKrzysztof Mazur - Drexel UniversityJay Bhatt - Drexel UniversityChristopher Badurek - Drexel UniversityMatthew Morton - Elsevier (United States, New York)
- Publication Details
- Association for Engineering Education - Engineering Library Division Papers
- Conference
- 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition (New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, 26 Jun 2016–29 Jun 2016)
- Publisher
- American Society for Engineering Education-ASEE
- Resource Type
- Conference paper
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- DUL Administrative Services; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
- Other Identifier
- 991019173835004721