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ERIC Number: EJ1063982
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1094-9046
EISSN: N/A
Lets Play: Why School Librarians Should Embrace Gaming in the Library
Elkins, Aaron J.
Knowledge Quest, v43 n5 p58-63 May-Jun 2015
This author encourages librarians to play some video games to get ready for the upcoming school year. Games aren't just for young males--they have tremendous potential to enhance 21st-century literacies, including critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Playing games will not only help librarians see how these skills can be developed, but also gives them a shared experience that can lead to deeper interactions with patrons. Online games can encourage the development of 21st-century skills (Galarneau and Zibit 2011), including critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and information and media literacy. The ability to play and learn in an online environment fosters the creation and analysis of media (Hobbs and Rowe 2011). Multiplayer gaming develops players' abilities to work collaboratively. This collaboration also extends outside of the game environment as gamers work together to create mods (modifications of the original game to add or enhance content or gameplay), develop tools and strategies to facilitate play, and even write strategy guides (Gee 2003, 2005, 2012; Gee and Hayes 2010). Gamers also engage in creative writing and storytelling, and even develop mathematical models centered on their gameplay (Steinkuehler and King 2009). Incorporating gaming into the school library program can help foster a love of reading and learning (Mashriqi 2011). More importantly, providing gaming in the library program is a way to help socioeconomically disadvantaged children who may not have the same opportunities as more affluent students to develop 21st-century literacies.
American Association of School Librarians. Available from: American Library Association. 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611. Tel: 1-800-545-2433; Web site: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/knowledgequest/knowledgequest.cfm
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: Media Staff
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A