Can't get enough of it!!

More more more about games. The more I read about it, the more excited I am about games and libraries. I've always loved games and I've always loved libraries, so it's a perfect match.

But do games belong in libraries? And is the library just a game? Well, here's some interesting discussion at the Games and Libraries Intersection from Jenny Levine, blogger at The Shifted Librarian. After reading some of this, you'll believe too! This is from her latest presentation:

Here's some characteristics of great gamers:
--willing to experiment and keep trying
--willing to seek expertise and ask for help
--willing to share expertise and help "noobs" (new players)
--desire to collaborate (team player)
--learn from their mistakes and adapt quickly
--thrive on fast decision making
--good at prioritizing
--willing to take risks
--focused on feedback and continuous improvement
--constantly seeking to be challenged
--proactive, not reactive
--don't want to be spoon fed, want to do their own research
--expect interaction, rewards, and multiple paths

Examples of Skills that Employers want in Higher Wage Workers
--adaptation to rapid change
--team building
--learning on the fly
--rapid information acquisition
--determining what needs to be done, allocating resources
--plan/develop/implement
--multiple task prioritization
--information synthesis

http://www.fas.org/gamesummit

Can you see the relationship? I just led my classroom in a group exercise called "Crossing the River". It is a logic test given to potential IT employees in Japan. The object is to follow the rules and get everybody to cross the river with the rule constraints. The employer is looking for potential employees who can complete this task in less than 15 minutes.

Click here if you want to try it: http://www.robmathiowetz.com/

It was an interesting class session. We used the computer overhead projector to view the screen on the whiteboard. I followed the commands and clicked on their choices. There were about a dozen people in class. They worked together, called out suggestions, pointed out wrong assumptions, and as a class, they were able to solve the problem! I was so proud of them!