Purpose: This paper provides an overview of the literature on digital games designed or adapted for information literacy instruction, as well as practical design recommendations.Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents an analysis of a compiled set of peerreviewed articles on games in the provision of information literacy instruction published between 2013-2018, categorized by game mechanics utilized.Findings: Application of the inclusion criteria led to 12 papers considered relevant. Synthesis of the papers suggests that although studies indicate positive outcomes for information literacy games, such games continue to rely on transcription of declarative tasks to digital environments.Originality/value: While previous literature reviews provide summaries on information literacy digital games, this paper not only presents an up-to-date review but also provides step-by-step instructions and worked examples for aligning information literacy learning mechanics with game mechanics.
How can we motivate social media users to critically analyze potential misinformation? Video games may be one way. This project presents research on a social‐impact game, Fake It to Make It, which positions players as for‐profit misinformation disseminators. Drawing upon the BJ Fogg's Functional Triad for Persuasive Computers and paying particular attention to the usability and perceived credibility of Fake It to Make It, this research analyzed the game from a persuasive design lens using player‐participant data. This was accomplished through screen‐captured gameplay as well as interviews and retrospective think‐alouds. Additionally, to determine if the game affects abilities to assess claims on social media, pre‐ and post‐intervention media literacy assessments were utilized. With this data, the researchers provide design recommendations to increase usability, influence procedural knowledge on social media, and promote continued gameplay and greater emotional/behavioral impact.
To understand the roles of fiction reading in mitigating readers' stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study explores readers' motivations, preferences, and reading behaviors. Through an open-ended online survey posted on social media platforms and an online reading community, the researchers collected 76 responses from adult fiction readers. Through qualitative coding, three prominent themes were identified: escapism, re-reading behavior, and access and format. Readers actively escape into fictional worlds, often through re-reading books, to cope with the pandemic. Also, cost and available channels of access shape readers' selection of fiction book format. These themes highlight elements of fiction reading that are pertinent to emotionally-strained individuals, which can provide insight for reference and recommendation services. By advancing researchers' understanding of pleasure reading behaviors and the important selection criteria for fiction readers during stressful times, this study contributes to the body of knowledge in Readers Advisory (RA) and information behavior.
PurposeWith ready access to search engines and social media platforms, the way people find image information has evolved and diversified in the past two decades. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature on image information needs and behaviors.Design/methodology/approachFollowing an eight-step procedure for conducting systematic literature reviews, the paper presents an analysis of peer-reviewed work on image information needs and behaviors, with publications ranging from the years 1997 to 2019.FindingsApplication of the inclusion criteria led to 69 peer-reviewed works. These works were synthesized according to the following categories: research methods, users targeted, image types, identified needs, search behaviors and search obstacles. The reviewed studies show that people seek and use images for multiple reasons, including entertainment, illustration, aesthetic appreciation, knowledge construction, engagement, inspiration and social interactions. The reviewed studies also report that common strategies for image searches include keyword searches with short queries, browsing, specialization and reformulation. Observed trends suggest common deployment of query analysis, survey questionnaires and undergraduate participant pools to research image information needs and behavior.Originality/valueAt this point, after more than two decades of image information needs research, a holistic systematic review of the literature was long overdue. The way users find image information has evolved and diversified due to technological developments in image retrieval. By synthesizing this burgeoning field into specific foci, this systematic literature review provides a foundation for future empirical investigation. With this foundation set, the paper then pinpoints key research gaps to investigate, particularly the influence of user expertise, a need for more diverse population samples, a dearth of qualitative data, new search features and information and visual literacies instruction.
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