The D. H. Hill Jr. Library is closed for electrical infrastructure repairs until August 1, 2025. Details and other places to study →
Updated May 8 1:17pm
The D. H. Hill Jr. Library is closed for electrical infrastructure repairs until August 1, 2025. Details and other places to study →
Updated May 8 1:17pm
A mobile, game-based way to introduce students to the library.
The NCSU Libraries Mobile Scavenger Hunt is an interactive, technology-rich way to introduce students to the library. Developed in response to student and instructor feedback collected in 2010-2011, it leverages the motivating power of situated learning and the fun of team game dynamics to orient students to the Libraries’ spaces, promote the use of emerging technologies, and foster confidence in using the Libraries’ collections. The activity is run using iPad Airs, a Snapchat account, and other online tools.
The NCSU Libraries Mobile Scavenger Hunt is designed to allow maximum mobility of student teams as they explore the library, while the librarian hosting the hunt keeps score in real time from a central location. Each team is supplied with a clue sheet with 12 questions about the library and its services, a map of the library, and an iPad Air for submitting clue answers. Students are given a brief introduction to the activity and its rules, as well as basic instruction in use of the iPad and Snapchat, before being sent off to answer their clues. Teams are allowed 25 minutes to explore the libraries and answer the questions before returning to the starting location to review correct answers, learn which team won, and receive prizes.
The teams' iPad Airs are logged into a Snapchat account, which the teams use to submit photo- and text-based answers to the clues. Scorekeeping is performed using a Google Spreadsheet, which is configured with the expected answers for each question. As teams submit their answers, the librarian is able to mark which questions were answered correctly by modifying the corresponding spreadsheet cells. Scores are tabulated automatically based on which questions are marked correct.