Piatt. “Using alternate reality games to support first year induction with ELGG”.

Piatt. “Using alternate reality games to support first year induction with ELGG”

This study looked at the use of an ARG as a way to teach students about university information and services and how effective this method was. The students were tasked with playing an ARG that was both online and offline and utilized the schools social media page as a basis for the game. The study ultimately found that while the game was not appealing with to all the students, however, those it did appeal to found it very effective.

The study group was comprised of entirely new students to the university, consisting 217 participants in total. The game’s format consisted of students completing tasks in relation to a time travel story line, and each week students were given the story and a task via a email, a total of nine for the entire term. These tasks included learning about library services, campus security, and other aspects of the universities amenities. As the study went on, it became clear that students were comfortable using some of the online resources to post and help one another complete tasks. By the end of the study, researchers found that the method didn’t resonate not all students, but the ones that it did gave very positive responses on the survey, indicating that it is an effective way to learn to some degree.

This study is primarily a study about gamification. That being said, some of the benefits of playing ARG’s that other research has proven are on display here. One example is the increased positive social interaction that was also proven in the Humans vs. Zombies study by Oravet. Another is the positive mental and psychological benefits of play as outlined by the research of Jane McGonigal.

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