Knowledge Quest 

Abstract: One of the great failings in educational game design is a focus on the question-and-answer model of gameplay. This type of educational game has players engage in some sort of time-wasting activity like rolling a die and moving, and then the focus of the game, the activity of answering a question, is triggered. Thousands of educational games use this roll-and-move model for gameplay inspired by the popularity of Trivial Pursuit. Many librarians and educators creating games for their patrons and students revert to this question-asking model because it is so familiar. However, a different approach, in which the gameplay emerges from the content, can create board game experiences that are vibrant, motivating, and provide opportunities for deep engagement with the material. At its core, the trivia-game model for educational games is similar to a traditional pedagogical tool: quizzes. Questions are usually short-answer or multiple-choice, and players are asked a question while everyone else sits quietly. The player either knows the correct answer, or is wrong and is told the right answer. If the goal of using games in the classroom is to allow players to demonstrate previously gained knowledge, then the trivia-game model may be appropriate. However, this trivia-game model can be improved for a more engaging experience in the classroom. One key problem with this model is that only one player is engaged with the game activity at any time, so developing a mechanism that involves more players can allow everyone to be more involved with the game. Having all players write down guesses at the same time is an improvement, but the commercial game Wits and Wagers takes this a step further. In Wits and Wagers, players all write down a guess to a question with a numerical answer, and then all answers are revealed and players place bets on which answer is closest. To use this interaction in an educational setting, adding a discussion period once the players' answers are revealed would allow players to learn more from one another. This game model does two things: first, it involves all players during each question, and second, it rewards players for being able to pick out a correct answer or pick out the person who should know the answer. It removes the \"player on the stage\" model of a traditional trivia game, so all players feel more comfortable being engaged with the game. Another model that can improve …