First, catch your rabbit: Getting students' attention and fostering deep learning with game-based systems

Abstract

“First, catch your rabbit,” is an apocryphal saying attributed to Mrs Beeton, the 19^th century cookery writer. It exists in the popular lexicon as a way to point out the often overlooked starting point in any project – for instance, before you cook your rabbit, you must catch it!

Similarly, when we are teaching information literacy to busy, distracted and sceptical students, we need to capture their attention and create a safe, playful space before they will be ready and able to learn deeply. How can we do this? Some Liaison Librarians have been experimenting with game-based learning tools, and in this session, I introduce two systems and explore their benefits to teaching and learning from my own experience.