The Data Challenge

Play the game! (Note: The game takes a few seconds to load.)

How well do you know the library's databases? Do you know how to cite your sources? Can you spot a fake website? This game will find out how just how much you know!

Play by yourself or with three other people.

 

The Rules

Players take turns moving around the board, answering questions. There are four categories, and two questions must be answered correctly from each category in order to win.

The Categories are:
Purple Category   Category 1 - Choose Your Resource
Green Category   Category 2 - Searching/Using Databases
Blue Category   Category 3 - Cite Your Sources/Avoid Plagiarism
Red Category   Category 4 - Library Wild Card

As you answer a question correctly from each category, you will receive a light corresponding to the color of the category. Once you receive a light for each of the four categories, you are placed on the Home Stretch.

On the Home Stretch, you must answer a question from each category correctly in order to advance a space. Once you have answered all four categories correctly, you win!

There are 3 special squares you can land on:

  • Light Bulb: This space will ask you to compare two different websites, or evaluate one website for different kinds of information. These websites will pop up in new windows, so be sure to close them when you are done.
  • Exclamation Point: This space will randomly do one of several things, such as giving or taking away lights, allowing you to choose an opponent to lose a turn or a light, etc.
  • Question Mark: This space will randomly choose a category and ask you a question. If it is a category you have not yet answered correctly, you will receive a light for a correct answer.

Single Person Play

Single play is much like the group game, with two additions. For reqular category questions (those questions that you get when you land on a colored square), you have 20 seconds to answer the question. If you do not answer within the time provided, the question will be marked wrong. In addition, you are only allowed 4 wrong answers for regular category questions. If you get a fifth answer wrong, then you lose the game.

Keyboard Commands

  • D - Roll the die to start the next player's turn
  • H - Opens/closes the Help Window
  • S - Toggles game sounds on or off
  • 1-4 - Select the correct answer to questions

Technical Information

You will need to make sure that Javascript is turned on in your browser and any popup blockers are set to allow popups from library.uncg.edu. Also note that the Website Evaluation questions will give you one or two links to click on with websites to evaluate. When you have completed your evaluation of the websites, simply close the window in which the site opened.

Credits

Scott Rice and Amy Harris are the co-creators of the Information Literacy Game. Amy created the question categories, wrote the questions and additional information and selected websites for evaluation. Scott thought up the idea for the game, programmed the game using Ajax, and assisted with questions and websites. Lauren Stokes of Las Vegas - Clark County Library District tailored the questions to fit the library's resources.

Thanks also to Lynda Kellam for her assistance.

Character icons provided by the TV show Odd Job Jack.