The class began to break into groups based on the type of project each student was interested in. The majority of the class seemed to be interested in the research game idea. Seeing as how the members of our group already sat together and established a friendship we felt no need to go looking for anyone else to pair up with. Initially we began to look at previous research games created in LIB 1201, these were of no use to us when it came to deciding how we wanted to structure our game. We then began thinking of how to make a game out of research strategies we used in previous classes for previous assignments. One issue when researching for us was deciding which database was the best choice for our research’s subject matter. Then we thought of possible games to structure our game around. A group from a previous LIB 1201 class used “Life” as their template.
Similarly we attempted to use life as our template as well.While looking into the rules of the game of life we decided against it because it wasn’t as entertaining as we thought it would be. Normally when playing a game of any sort your intentions are usually one of two things having fun, and winning; therefore, we didn’t go with “Life” because it wasn’t so much fun being reminded of everyday responsibilities. In the life game you can graduate college, get kids, buy stock, houses and so on, and winning is determined by whoever has the most money and life tokens in the end. Also, Hamadi never played “Life”, and it would be time consuming to teach him the ins and outs of the game. With time winding down on us we thought of our friendship and how although we joke and laugh with one another we still focus on what we need to have done.  We tend to do it competitively bringing us not to a flashy video game, nor a not so interesting board game, but instead a comical family oriented competitive game show.   “Family Feud” whose rules are simple beat the other family by providing popular answers to questions that were surveyed by 100 people. In family feud you have to depend on the members of your family to come up with answers. In a research group you have to depend on your group members to come up with some ideas. After we agreed on using family feud as our template, the hardest part stood before us. How could we incorporate research into a family feud game? For about a day or two we sat pondering the previous question. Then Hamadi proposed that we use the library databases in a format that could teach students how to differentiate between databases depending on the subject matter. In family feud before the game they generate surveys that are used for gameplay. Then we thought, what type of questions could we survey that refer to the databases? We then formulated simple questions in the format of what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear (insert database here)? Here are 10 sample survey questions:
1. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Google Scholar?
2. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear JSTOR?
3. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear LexisNexis?
4. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Science Direct?
5. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear European Views of the Americas: 1493 to 1750?
6. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association?
7. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Naxos Music Library?
8. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear American Chemical Society?
9. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear MathSciNet?
10. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear HighWire Press?
By asking these questions to the entire class we will generate common views of the database which in turn gives you the general subject inferred for each database. After surveying the class, your groups similar answers for each question will calculate the score for each answer. The game will be played in the following format:
1. The class will be separated into two teams.
2. The first question will be asked and the first team to buzz will have a chance to answer and control the board.
3. As the teams give answers the instructor will show on the board correct answers with the corresponding score value based on the survey, and incorrect answers with giant Xs.
4..If the team with control does not get all of the answers from the surveyed question correct, after giving 3 incorrect answers the other team will have the opportunity to steal the points for that question.
5. The other team must answer with one correct answer and they will steal the points from the other team with the addition of the score for the correct answer given.
6. Repeat steps 2 to 5 for all the survey questions. Add up the scores to determine the winner.
