Presented at AABIG, June 10, 2016. Handout available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PFh1_uuO31yiENGNoDXVm1WDVQ6jpNGxvQ1I-8EgTvw/edit?usp=sharing As instruction librarians, we sometimes find ourselves getting tired of doing the standard database demonstration, and struggling to find ways to teach databases in an interesting way. I developed an interactive game that exposes freshmen students to many of the useful and unique features of academic databases while keeping them actively engaged in a competition. During this session, you are invited to experience the game for yourself, as if you were a student in my class. We will also discuss how this activity can be adapted to different classes and levels of knowledge, as well as techniques to make sure the students are actually learning something through the process.

1. Amy Gratz, Instructional Services Librarian
Mercer University, Jack Tarver Library

2. Background
 Developed as an alternative to database
demonstrations for a first-semester freshman course
 Competitive game similar to a scavenger hunt, but
incorporating some aspects of bingo
 Main difference: all playing on the same bingo board
 When using in a class, I start with teaching concepts
and skills like keyword development and source types
 Game design promotes quantity over quality

3. Research Bingo Activity
 Work in Discovery on the topic “stem cell research”
 Only one computer per team
 After completing each task, send the “runner” up to place a
sticky note on the appropriate square(s)
 Green tasks are double points and BINGOs are +5 points!
There is no additional bonus for getting BINGO using green tasks
 Goal is to be the team with the most tasks completed at the
end of the time limit
 Grand prize for the winning team!
 If the class completes all 24 tasks, everyone gets a prize!

4. RESEARCH BINGO: Search Discovery
LIMIT THE SUBJECT
TO "ETHICS" OR
"BIOETHICS"
USING DISCOVERY,
FORMAT AN MLA
STYLE CITATION FOR
AN ARTICLE
FIND A "RESEARCH
STARTER"
FIND A DVD
LIMIT YOUR SEARCH
BY LANGUAGE
(ENGLISH ONLY
PLEASE!)
FIGURE OUT HOW TO
REQUEST A BOOK
FROM THE SWILLEY
(ATLANTA) LIBRARY
FIND A BOOK REVIEW
FIND A BOOK IN THE
MERCER UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
LIMIT YOUR SEARCH
TO THE LIBRARY
CATALOG
GET LESS THAN 1
THOUSAND SEARCH
RESULTS
FIND AN EBOOK
FIND A PDF FOR A
SCHOLARLY ARTICLE
FREE SPACE
FIND RESOURCES
ABOUT A FOREIGN
COUNTRY
FIND AN IMAGE OR
PIECE OF ARTWORK
FIND A CURRENT
NEWS ARTICLE
GET MORE THAN 2
MILLION SEARCH
RESULTS
FIND A MAGAZINE
ARTICLE
FIND SOMETHING
PUBLISHED IN 2017
EMAIL AN ARTICLE
WITH AN MLA
CITATION
CHECK YOUR SEARCH
HISTORY
LIMIT YOUR SEARCH
TO FULL TEXT ONLY
FIND AN ARTICLE
USING THE ORANGE
"FIND FULL TEXT"
BUTTON
LIMIT THE
PUBLICATION DATE
TO THE LAST 5 YEARS
FIND AN ARTICLE
WITH HTML FULL-
TEXT

5. After the Activity
 Review tasks as needed:
 Uncompleted
 Particularly tricky
 I often include a very
brief demonstration in
another database
interface to show how
similar tools are often
available
“I thought this was a very
successful instruction
session - the bingo activity
helped some of my more
reticent students engage”
- Faculty member feedback

6. Possible Adaptations
 Always adjust topic and tasks for assignment/session goals
 Upper-level or subject-specific class
 Create a smaller grid if not enough discreet tasks to complete
 Can be used with any virtual interface
 Library website? LibGuide? Purdue OWL?
 Skew towards a scavenger hunt and incorporate physical
resources
 Would likely need a longer time limit
 Create a virtual board and ask students to compete
individually, rather than in groups
 With a longer time limit (and fewer tasks?), could be
adapted to better incorporate higher quality research

7. Are They Learning?
 The high level of engagement strongly suggests
students were mentally engaged
 Spending a few minutes discussing the tricky tasks
(and demonstrating if necessary) really helps
 Honestly, any method you’ve used in the past should
work here, as well!
 What ideas do you have?

8. Image made available under a creative commons attribution 2.0 license. Credit:
Bryson, R. (2011, December 16). Question box. Retrieved from https://flic.kr/p/fGyo6Q