Gaming (In)formation Gamified, Transformational Learning in Research and Theology

Abstract

Gamification refers to the application of game design principles to non-game contexts, infusing education with curiosity, imagination, and play. Moreover, gameful design enables instructors to reimagine courses that incorporate basic game architecture, story, and aesthetic. Below, theological librarian Chris Rosser demonstrates examples of gamified instruction within curricular and co-curricular contexts. First, Chris describes a research-oriented course that normalizes experience of the Bible as “strange” by framing students’ journey through texts around the Hero’s Journey construct. Second, he discusses a co-curricular escape room-style online module that teaches and assesses information literacy outcomes as students escape from a virtual library. Gameful design in research instruction and theological education opens new horizons for actualizing (in)formation as librarians-as-teachers form and inform those we serve. Readers will be well served by viewing three associated videos: Concept (bit.ly/gamifiedconcept); Curricular (bit.ly/gamifiedcurricular); Co-curricular (bit.ly/gamifiedco-curricular). The videos and adapted slides (bit.ly/gamifiedcontent) greatly enhance comprehensibility of what follows.