Developing an online platform for gamified library instruction

Abstract

Gamification is a concept that has been catching fire for a while now in education, particularly in libraries. This article describes a pilot effort to create an online gamified platform for use in the Woodbury University Library’s information literacy course. The objectives of this project were both to increase student engagement and learning, and to serve as an opportunity for myself to further develop my web development skills. The platform was developed using the CodeIgniter web framework and consisted of several homework exercises ranging from a top-down two-dimensional library exploration game to a tutorial on cleaning up machine-generated APA citations. This article details the project’s planning and development process, the gamification concepts that helped guide the conceptualization of each exercise, reflections on the platform’s implementation in four course sections, and aspirations for the future of the project. It is hoped that this article will serve as an example of the opportunities–and challenges–that await both librarians and instructors who wish to add coding to their existing skill set.