The Open Axis video game: Using gamification for learning and Open Access Week

Abstract

International Open Access (OA) Week inspires us to pause and reflect on the growth and development of OA programming around the world, as well as consider its evolution at our own institution. The occasion highlights and cultivates global support for free and immediate access to the results of scholarly research, while spotlighting regional and disciplinary nuances to OA outreach. OA Week events across the globe are varied and have ranged from presentations to movie screenings to Wikipedia edit-a-thons. UCLA Library has facilitated its own OA Week events for many years, and recently began experimenting with gamification and play-based learning by way of original analog board games and interactive learning stations. These games covered the basic tenets of OA, scholarly communication, and keystone library services. Gamification can be a useful tool to explain concepts and acknowledge that there are many different paths to success, much like scholarship. In 2020, the pandemic prompted us to expand and apply the same OA learning concepts with game-based learning into a remote learning environment with Open Axis: The Open Access Video Game. The goal was to create a learning object that met asynchronous learning outcomes for a multitude of disciplines and various academic levels.