The power of games and play in media and information literacy
From teen game nights to summer reading book bingo, libraries are familiar with using games and play to engage their patrons. Libraries have also been vital educational resources for supporting information literacy and combatting misinformation. The Empowering Informed Communities project combines these two library superpowers to develop games that help library staff support media and information literacy through play.
Want to try some games in your library that level up information literacy skills? Keep reading for resources and games that can help you get started and register for the upcoming WebJunction webinar on “Games and play-based experiences for media and information literacy.”
What does games-based learning offer?
Games appeal to a broad range of people. After all, kids, teens, and adults alike love to play and have fun. But games and play can also be spaces for learning, and libraries can play a key role in facilitating these interactions.
Educational games and play offer participants several advantages:
- Social connection: Games provide social experiences where players work with others through multiplayer or collaborative games.
- Safely take risks and fail: Learning through play provides players with an environment that makes it safer to take risks and fail. People understand the structure of games and expect that they may win or lose and that they may encounter difficulties along the way. And if it doesn’t work out, it’s only a game.
- Fun: Did we mention games and play are fun? They are more appealing to people than attending a lecture in their free time.
- Reflect and learn: Many learning games include a post-game debrief, where players can discuss the experiences they had together and open an opportunity for the librarian or teacher to contribute their knowledge. This reflection time can also be a valuable opportunity to evaluate whether the players’ takeaways align with the activity’s learning objectives.
Explore games from the Center for an Informed Public
The University of Washington Center for an Informed Public (CIP) created a series of games and play-based experiences for public libraries to run. The team collaborated with public library workers and other educators to develop practical resources for libraries that incorporate the latest research about our information environment in a fun and engaging way.
As one librarian said about a CIP escape room game:
This program helps us reach all kinds of patrons . . . because of the format, the way the marketing language is set up, and the ease of accessibility and access.
Explore a few of the games below and be sure to register for the upcoming WebJunction webinar on “Games and play-based experiences for media and information literacy” to dive deeper into the research and resources from the Empowering Informed Communities project.
Escape room puzzle games
Escape Room Games place participants in engaging, time-bound scenarios where they must work together to investigate information, make decisions, and reflect on how content circulates in everyday digital and social spaces. Games can be played in small groups or as break-out groups for larger programs (typically 4 – 6 participants per group) using printable materials. The escape rooms are all focused on different narratives to connect to different audiences. Current topics include online news, fandom, cryptocurrency, health and wellness trends, and the impacts of AI-generated images. Games can be played with teen or adult audiences.
Access the escape room games at LokisLoop.org.
Play-based experiences for kids
The Misinfo Play Pack is a collection of play-based curricula designed for public libraries that support young people (ages 8 – 15) in exploring how misleading or confusing information appears and spreads in everyday digital spaces. Developed by KidsTeam UW as part of an Institute of Museum and Library Services-funded project, the Play Pack was co-designed with children and grounded in research on how youth actually experience online information. The materials are modular, hands-on, and designed specifically for use in library programs. The playback materials focus on AI, the rabbit-hole effect, and online videos.
Access the Misinfo Play Pack at LokisLoop.org.
The Feed: a game of social media mischief
The Feed is a competitive card game in which teens learn how collective conversations on social media can become distorted and spiral out of control. In the game, teens play online actors (trolls, conspiracy theorists, influencers, content farms) and use tactics to gain likes and followers. The game was developed by Shawn Lee, teacher at Seattle’s Ballard High School and CIP Community Fellow, and Scott DeJong, visiting Fulbright Scholar from Canada’s Concordia University in 2024 - 2025. The game was originally developed in a classroom setting and may be best suited in more formal learning environments.
Find more from the Empowering Informed Communities project
CIP is working on more games and will continue to add them to our website and resource hub. Keep an eye out for a game focused on disagreement and more escape room puzzle games. You can learn more about CIP games and other public library-oriented resources at the Empowering Informed Communities project website.
Learn more in a WebJunction webinar
Games and play-based experiences offer fun and accessible ways to engage your patrons of all ages about media and information literacy. In this session, researchers will share why games can be an effective method to teach about the information environment and will introduce a ready-to-use set of resources covering media literacy basics, AI-generated images, and how information flows online.
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant #LG-255047-OLS-23.
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