Gamifying the IamInfoSMART 2014


Learning by doing is more fun and interesting. This was the inspiration of the Libraries in gamifying the IamInfoSMART 2014 thus adding a little excitement and engagement among students as they develop their information literacy skills.
Designed to enhance students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills, the gamified version of the IamInfoSMART adapted some of the most popular board games (e.g. FUNGLISH and Snakes and Ladders), TV game shows (e.g. Celebrity Bluff and Amazing Race), and IL games used by other libraries abroad (e.g. Citation Tic-Tac Toe and Begin Your Research Here).

This year’s fun games and activities include the following:




Begin Your Research Here, an online IL quiz for Standard 1: Determining the nature and extent of information needed.
  • Tic-Tac Toe Let’s Cite It!,  an online game designed by Jenne McCabe and Greg Brown of the James Madison University for Standard 5: Understanding the ethical, legal, and socio-economic issues surrounding information and information technology.
  • FunInfoLit, a fun guessing game for Standard 1: Determining the nature and extent of information needed.
  • InfoSMARTer’s Snakes and Ladders, a modified board game for Standard 2: Accessing the needed information effectively and efficiently

  • DLSU Libraries Bluff: Student Edition, a contest based on the mechanics of the Celebrity Bluff designed for Standard 3: Evaluating information and its sources critically.
  • IamInfoSMART Amazing Race, an active group game intended to develop basic IL skills.
A total of 325 students and faculty members participated in the games. The top two most participated IL games were the InfoSMARTer’s Snakes and Ladders and FunInfoLit with 174 and 78 gamers, respectively.

Moreover, eight teams (equivalent to 16 students) joined the DLSU Libraries Bluff: Student Edition wherein contestants were asked to answer five (5) questions (10 points each) related to the criteria for evaluating information sources. The bluffers consisted of ASF from the Libraries, namely, Ms. Christine Abrigo, Assistant Director for Operations, Ms. Marian R. Eclevia, Readers’ Services Coordinator, and Ms. Vivian C. Soriente, Filipiniana Librarian.

Finally, seven teams of three students per team participated in the IamInfoSMART Amazing Race 2. During the race, participants were asked to solve the challenges as a team at each pit stop located in the different areas of the Learning Commons.