Academic Uses of Video Games: A Qualitative Assessment of Research and Teaching Needs at a Large Research University

Abstract

Academic libraries develop collections and services for scholars who use video games in teaching and research. However, there are no assessments of related information and technology needs. The authors conducted 30 semistructured interviews to gather data about these needs and understand how the University of Minnesota Libraries can facilitate access to games and technology. A total of 28 interviewees used games in research, and 23 used games in teaching. We identified a variety of information and technology needs; many showed strong disciplinary trends. The findings can inform needs-based multidisciplinary strategies to develop video game services and collections relevant to unique academic communities. IntroductionRecent studies show that video games are ingrained in American culture and, increasingly, higher education. A 2015 Pew Research Center survey found that 49 percent of American adults and 67 percent of adults ages 18-29 play video games.1 The New Media Consortium reported that games and gamification have several applications in higher education, as educational technology and components of blended learning.2 A search for "video games" in major article indices finds game technology used in diverse research areas.College and research libraries share a vision of exceptional services to motivate and facilitate cutting-edge research and student learning 3 and have proactively supported scholars using and experimenting with video games. Librarians frequently collaborate with faculty and students to create game collections and interactive spaces for research, teaching, game development, and play. Despite this, there are currently no multidisciplinary assessments that provide an overview of the information and technology needs required by scholars working with video games. Some disciplinary-specific

Advances in academic video game collections

“…Another use of assessment is to investigate the needs of faculty, staff and students whose work involves gaming technology. Librarians at the University of Minnesota conducted semi-structured interviews with video game scholars to assess their technology and information needs, and to determine how the library might meet these needs (Farrell, Neeser, & Bishoff, 2017).…”

The Role of Academic Libraries in Scholarly Communication. A Meta-Analysis of Research

“…An interesting trend within these deliberations is the introduction of video games into digital collections (Farrell, Neeser, & Bishoff, 2017;Thomas & Clyde, 2013). These types of collections should, however, be very precisely adapted to the needs of particular groups of users.…”