Sustained Engagement: From Common Read to Community Through a Campus-Wide Transmedia Game

Ben WardInstructional DesignerInformation Technology Center

The Horizon Report 2014

“The gamification of education is gaining support among educators who recognize that effectively designed games can stimulate large gains in productivity and creativity among learners.”

What is an ARG exactly?

An ARG is “An interactive drama played out online and in real-world spaces, taking place over several weeks or months, in which dozens, hundreds, or thousands of players come together online, form collaborative social networks, and work together to solve a mystery or problem”

-Jane McGonigal

The Lost Book

The Library Alternate Reality Game

The Lost Book Narrative

“I tell her about a book I lost. Well, not really lost, more like forgot. In fact I am not really sure it was a book at all, but rather the memory of a story…”

The Path

Trekking through the stacksSidewalk chalkPull tabsCards

The Path

The Path

The Path

The Book

The Book

The Endgame

The Endgame

Now I’ve shared my secret with youNow that I’ve shared it, it’s your secret tooGrab a book and join us as we read the greatsIn a Great Room where the seeds of more stories await

So, who played?• Lost Book Site Stats• Visits: 197• Unique Visitors: 156• Pageviews: 596• Pages / Visit: 3.03• Avg. Visit Duration: 00:03:04• New Visits: 79.19%• Return Visitor Rate: 22%• After game ended on 11/2: 18 unique,

21 visits total, 35 seconds• LibGuide stats: • Day 1: 39 views• Day 2: 26 views• Day 3: 12 views• Day 4: 55 views

Of the players who reached the endgame, 80% were female.

Ready Player One

Transmedia Storytelling

Ready Player One – The Book

Ready Player One – The Game

Scoreboard

Attendance Experiences

Puzzle Challenges

Cross Curriculum Projects

Cooperative/Collaborative Events

Direct Book Tie-Ins

Design Goals

• Safe for everyone• Fun, fun, fun!• Increased student involvement• Shared educational opportunities• Student contributions to the game

Game Mechanics

• Achievements and Experience points• Communal Discovery• PsychoSocial Moratorium Principle• Ownership• Cross-Disciple Problem Solving• Countdown• Appointment Dynamic• Chain Schedules• Story Archeology

The Game

The Designers

Joelle

Dan

Ben

Nathan

Transmedia Storytelling

The Numbers

50+Real-world events

10,000+Views of K-State Libraries’

“Anorak’s Almanac”

5Sponsored

surveys

320+Puzzles, riddles, codes,

and trivia challenges

500+Posts to Twitter, Tumblr,

and K-State email

20Challenges linked to

Student Services

1Player-generated

Reddit page

197Game challenges

509Active participants

50+Geocache sites

1Player-generated

Facebook account

The Numbers

Countless Opportunities For a diverse group of players to meet and get to know each other

Our Top Players

• Majors ranging from Architectural Engineering to Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation

• Included undergraduate students, graduate students, and K-State faculty/staff

• 50% of the players were women• 45% of the players were first-year students

“As a freshman, it gave me a group of friends right off the bat. Being more connected to other students made me feel more connected to the school itself.”

“I think that I was mainly surprised more by the attitudes of the players. Everyone was competitive, but at the same time a real sense of camaraderie developed and we all helped each other out whenever possible instead of everyone being out for only their own gain.”

“I really enjoyed the puzzles, and especially seeing the ‘mystery eggs’ scattered around campus. It felt like being party to a ‘big secret,’ and makes you feel special (in a positive way) for understanding it's purpose. I also felt like I was part of the community by participating.”

Countless Thanks to

• Our sponsors• Our contributors• Our supporters• And most importantly…

Our

Players!

Mapping the Ghost Map