Open AccessPlaying as Argument Architects: Bridging a Learning Gap in the Research Process
Author(s) -
Elizabeth K. Nelson,
Brett Spencer
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
pennsylvania libraries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2324-7878
DOI - 10.5195/palrap.2020.219
Subject(s) - dialog box , argument (complex analysis) , computer science , bridging (networking) , conversation , software portability , constructive , iterative and incremental development , schema (genetic algorithms) , cohesion (chemistry) , process (computing) , rhetoric , multimedia , sociology , mathematics education , psychology , world wide web , software engineering , linguistics , computer network , biochemistry , chemistry , philosophy , communication , organic chemistry , machine learning , programming language , operating system
This article reports on the design process and initial results of a project to create a board game, Argument Architect, that bridges the gap between librarians’ and students’ understanding of research and rhetoric. Some students perceive research as a step-by-step, linear process; in contrast, however, most librarians view it as an iterative, dynamic activity. In order to use Argument Architect as a springboard to a classroom conversation, we designed it to avoid the competitive/destructive nature of most board games in favor of a cooperative/constructive schema that fostered a flowing, playful, and reflective dialog between students and librarians about the “messy” nature of research. We also kept in mind our practical needs, as instruction librarians, for a game with flexibility, scalability, portability, and intuitive play that we could efficiently deploy multiple times in composition classes with different class lengths and assignments. We share details and images of the game in multiple stages of development, student and instructor reactions, and future plans.