Using Investigative Video Games to Teach Clinical Intuition and Metacognition in Reference Transactions

Abstract

As online education for the MLIS becomes widespread, one challenge for reference and user services instructors is that traditional exercises used to promote clinical intuition and metacognition in reference work may be more difficult in online classrooms. This article uses concept analysis to better understand clinical judgment for reference, suggesting that learners’ clinical intuition may be developed through a combination of emphasizing types of reasoning skills in reference work and the use of experiential learning theory. Investigative video games are presented as a case for providing practice with reasoning skills and rules testing in contexts adjacent to reference work. The authors provide examples of how types of reasoning are used in these video games and how, when practiced, these can offer a complementary approach to instruction for reference work.