Scavenger Hunt Research Articles

Sustainability in the first-year experience: Taking library orientation online

Since 2012, Pace University in New York City has used a library scavenger hunt for the required library orientation for first-year undergraduates. As detailed in a 2013 article in C&RL News, the scavenger hunt replaced library tours and classroom sessions as undergraduate enrollment grew and individual class visits were no longer feasible. As student enrollment continued to increase each year, it became less manageable and more wasteful to conduct a paper scavenger hunt. Each fall, more than 1,000 students collected five separate sheets of paper in order to complete the activity. Not only was this a waste of library resources and an unacceptable environmental impact, it also required a great deal of Jennifer Rosenstein’s time to print the volume of clues and complete the data entry for the surveys. For fall 2016, she was determined to make the scavenger hunt as close to paperless as possible.

It’s all fun and games until somebody gets hurt: using a scavenger hunt game to teach human factors to junior doctors

Human factors are extremely important in healthcare. It is now a requirement that all junior doctors demonstrate understanding of human factors in medical error.1 Feedback from previous teaching to foundation doctors on human factors in South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust included comments such as ‘just not relevant to us at this level of our training’. A session entitled ‘Introduction to human factors’ aimed to meet the outcome as expected in junior doctors’ Foundation Programme curriculum: ‘Describes the role of human factors in medical errors and takes steps to minimise these’. The foundation doctors were divided into teams. …

Code Team Training for Emergency Care of Pregnant Women

Ten percent of maternal mortalities occur from cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA). One in 12,000 birth-related hospitalizations is complicated by CPA because of hemorrhage, heart failure, amniotic fluid embolism, or sepsis. Our hospital averages 14,000 births annually, and an event could happen at any time. Outcomes depend on early identification and treatment of the underlying cause, the speed of intervention by the response team, resuscitation principles during pregnancy, and the challenge of dealing with two lives. The fetus should be delivered after 4 min if the pregnant woman does not have return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). A series of four 2-hour, simulation-based code education sessions was developed. Sessions focused on the adult code with emphasis on obstetric patients. The goal was to train at least 20 team members throughout the hospital to respond to codes 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Develop an emergency hysterotomy tray for extraction of the fetus for use in code situations. Evaluate the emergency response system and initiate text messages through the internal phone system for improved communication. Session 1: code cart scavenger hunts, first-responder basic life support, teamwork, closed-loop communication, defibrillator safety in automatic external defibrillator (AED), role assignment, and code record documentation. Session 2: Documentation is the main focus with use of the defibrillator in manual mode. Session 3: Obstetric-specific interventions are the main objective with use of the emergency hysterotomy tray for delivery of the fetus and activation of the neonatal resuscitation team. Session 4: incorporation of advanced airway management, use of the rapid sequence intubation kit, and the respiratory therapy box on the code cart. Twenty participants completed training in March–December 2018. Real-time analysis with time to AED pad application and shock, if advised, occurred within 2 min, and left uterine displacement was performed within the 1st min. Epinephrine was administered within 3 min. Ongoing evaluation with mock codes showed an increasing need for education for the medical providers regarding current American Hospital Association resuscitation standards. Encouraged use of algorithms on the code cart. Improve response time and interdisciplinary coordination of care in pregnant women.

Scavenger Hunt or Finger in the Dike?

Scavenger Hunt or Finger in the Dike?

Training pre-service general educators in assistive technology competencies for students with visual impairments

Teacher knowledge of, and comfort with, assistive technology (AT) is key for student use of AT. Previous research identified the AT competencies needed for instructing students with visual impairments (VI) and level of competency required in each. The authors selected 20 of the competencies most appropriate for general education teachers instructing students with VI and investigated the impact of pre-service teacher training in AT on their self-rated competency levels. Pre-service teachers were given a pre-test (using qualitative and quantitative measures), trained in AT using a scavenger hunt in the AT Lab at the university where the study took place, and then completed a post-test of the same measures. Participants could name more AT software and devices on the post-test and viewed themselves as more competent with regards to the 20 SAT competencies.

Perspective from grad school: When you are blind and in grad school

The hardest part about being a blind student in graduate school is the inaccessibility I face everywhere. I part crowds with a wave of my hand ... OK, maybe it’s my cane, but people scatter like mice that just saw a cat either way. Searching for the copy room or projector lounge can feel like a scavenger hunt as I walk through hallways marked only with room numbers in braille, like room 175. In class, “This arrow means the molecule pictured goes here,” my professor says. Without a tactile diagram, I can guess we might be talking about a molecule going into an enzyme active site, or maybe it’s a mechanism. The exam is tomorrow and I still haven’t gotten any of the braille documents I asked for, so it’s another test of learning everything I can about the few things that were clearly named in lecture. When taking the

Five Keys to Planning a Winning Scavenger Hunt

Five Keys to Planning a Winning Scavenger Hunt

Curricula Influence College Student Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Invasive Species

Negative impacts from invasive species present a global problem. Consequently, invasive species biology has emerged as an important subdiscipline of conservation biology. One of the goals of invasive species biology is to educate the public about impacts and potential control of invasive species. The purpose of this study was to determine if a lecture, a lecture and laboratory learning model, or both influence college student learning gains and whether increase in knowledge results in changes in attitudes about invasive species. A pre- and posttest instrument that measured knowledge and attitudes of invasive species was administered to several different classes of students at a university and community college. One group of students received a lecture and laboratory curriculum between the pre- and posttest (the lecture and laboratory treatment group). A second group of students received a lecture between the pre- and posttest (the lecture-only treatment group) and a third group received no instruction between tests (the control group). The lecture was in the form of an electronic presentation, whereas the laboratory curriculum included a case study, a visual aid, and a scavenger hunt to educate students about examples of invasive plant and animal species. In all classes and groups, there were at least 2 weeks between administering the pre- and posttest. Results showed that the control group scores were not different between the pre- and posttest. However, both the lecture-only and the lecture and laboratory treatment groups had scores that changed after receiving the curricula. In addition, there was an effect of curricula on student learning for the three conditions. The differences between the group that received no curricula vs. the two that did indicated that the curricula were effective teaching interventions to help students become more educated about invasive species.

Looking Beyond Stick Figure Images: My Personal and Professional Journey to Understanding the Impact of My Holocaust History

“I thought I would never go to Poland, where my mother and father’s entire family except for one brother were slaughtered.” As psychoanalysts, we know that trauma and its intergenerational aftermath do not become integrated or comprehended in a linear, organized way. Three summers ago, my brother and I traveled to our parents’ hometowns in Poland and Ukraine, 70 years after the Holocaust. With only a few addresses in hand, we went on a scavenger hunt of sorts, searching for places in my parents’ world that are no more. In this article, I examine how growing up as the child of parents who survived the Holocaust was intertwined with my evolution as a psychoanalyst. I explore the transformative nature of my trip and I offer reflections on my work with patients who have been part of my journey. I describe how my journey has filled out my previous scant, stick-figure-like images of my parents’ pasts and Holocaust histories.

Literary Scavenger Hunts with GooseChase

Literary Scavenger Hunts with GooseChase

Secondary School Athletic Training Facility Scavenger Hunt Orientation Case Study

The purpose of this case study is to explain an educational game that was utilized as part of an orientation component with CAATE accredited athletic training students and technical high school sports medicine observation students. The students were guided through a scavenger hunt in three phases to help locate items within the athletic training room and then analyze the item’s function and non-traditional usages. This activity utilized the educational theory of ‘Bloom’s Taxonomy’ to introduce knowledge of athletic training supplies and equipment and help students implement that knowledge into future clinical practice.

Pokémon Day at the Sternberg: Using Pop-Culture to Teach Principles of Evolution

Pop culture has great potential as a tool for communicating science to the public. The Sternberg Museum of Natural History (FHSM) hosted a public, all-ages outreach event utilizing Pokémon to illustrate common principles of evolution and highlighting the confluence of pop-culture and science. Pokémon is a multi-billion dollar multimedia franchise centered on the training and combat of small monsters, called Pokémon, which grow stronger and ‘evolve’ over time as they bond with their trainer. While ‘evolution’ in the Pokémon franchise is more akin to the process of metamorphosis in the real world, with weaker forms transitioning into stronger ones, principles of mutation, adaptation, and descent with modification are regularly evoked within the series. This close association between Pokémon ‘evolution’ and Darwinian evolution provides an invaluable opportunity to use a popular franchise to explain evolutionary principles through basic comparison, as well as clarifying public misperceptions of evolution by drawing attention to inaccuracies portrayed in the franchise. Tables were placed around the Museum where fossils and illustrated graphics highlighted similarities between Pokémon designs and their extinct counterparts, while teaching the principles of adaptation, descent with modification, and island biogeography. Guests were encouraged to use self-directed learning to interact with Museum staff who explained the evolutionary principles outlined at that table and the inferences that can be made regarding the biology and ecology of the organisms the Pokémon represent. A scavenger hunt was also implemented to encourage exploration of the museum; younger guests were tasked with seeking additional Pokémon hidden throughout the museum. This interactive activity rewarded exploration of both event-specific displays and traditional exhibits with a small bag of candy upon completion. Arts-and-crafts related to Pokémon and evolution were available for very young guests. The event took place over five hours on a Saturday; normal admission fees were required. Principles learned from this Pokémon Day event can be used by the FHSM and other institutions to further refine engaging and informative public outreach events in the future, utilizing different pop-culture franchises to teach scientific principles to the public.

A Right Not to Be Mapped? Augmented Reality, Real Property, and Zoning

The digital mapping applications underlying augmented reality have strong public benefits but can also have unappreciated effects on real property. In recent litigation on Pokémon Go, an enhanced digital mapping application in which players participate in a digital scavenger hunt by visiting real world locations, homeowners alleged that the augmented reality application harmed their residential properties by increasing the number of people in their residential areas. However, neither the existing laws on intellectual property nor those for real property are designed to address these types of harms. On the one hand, real property torts, such as nuisance and trespass, on which the homeowners relied, are ill-suited to address harms from a digital application as they are based on a right to exclude and consent. On the other hand, intellectual property laws have not focused on harms that could result from the intersection of intellectual property rights and real property. If it were to be framed anew, the basis of the homeowners’ claims would be most analogous to asserting “a right not to be mapped.” However, there is not yet a “right not to be mapped” in law, and there are compelling reasons for the law not to create one. We recommend three alternative mechanisms to regulate the relationship between augmented reality and real property. We recommend the application of zoning principles as a legal mechanism designed for location-sensitive regulation, which can balance the concerns of individual real property owners, as well as the larger context of community and city interests, and be adapted to innovative technologies such as augmented reality. Additionally, we suggest that catalogues of augmented reality applications be created to support zoning decisions and to provide public notice. We also consider the possibility of licensing schemes with micropayments for real properties affected by augmented reality.

A Right Not to be Mapped? Augmented Reality, Real Property, and Zoning

The digital mapping applications underlying augmented reality have strong public benefits but can also have unappreciated effects on real property. In recent litigation on Pokemon Go, an enhanced digital mapping application in which players participate in a digital scavenger hunt by visiting real world locations, homeowners alleged that the augmented reality application harmed their residential properties by increasing the number of people in their residential areas. However, neither the existing laws on intellectual property nor those for real property are designed to address these types of harms. On the one hand, real property torts, such as nuisance and trespass, on which the homeowners relied, are ill-suited to address harms from a digital application as they are based on a right to exclude and consent. On the other hand, intellectual property laws have not focused on harms that could result from the intersection of intellectual property rights and real property. If it were to be framed anew, the basis of the homeowners’ claims would be most analogous to asserting “a right not to be mapped.” However, there is not yet a “right not to be mapped” in law, and there are compelling reasons for the law not to create one. We recommend three alternative mechanisms to regulate the relationship between augmented reality and real property. We recommend the application of zoning principles as a legal mechanism designed for location-sensitive regulation, which can balance the concerns of individual real property owners, as well as the larger context of community and city interests, and be adapted to innovative technologies such as augmented reality. Additionally, we suggest that catalogues of augmented reality applications be created to support zoning decisions and to provide public notice. We also consider the possibility of licensing schemes with micropayments for real properties affected by augmented reality.

P156: Exploring educational innovation: out of the shadows of shadow week

Introduction: In the third year of medical school, students participate in a four week period called Transition to Clerkship, followed by Shadow week, where students spend one week in the discipline prior to starting clerkship. In the past, students have identified that receiving specific additional training during Shadow week would help them succeed in their rotation. To address this problem, the curriculum discussed in this paper is being developed for third year students who will be commencing clerkship in Emergency Medicine (EM). Methods: In order to assess achievement of objectives within the curriculum, questionnaires were provided to participants in the morning and afternoon of the session, as well as at the end of their rotation. Evaluative analysis is done through the Kirkpatrick program evaluation framework based on descriptive comparison of scores on the questionnaires, followed by statistical analysis with the Mann-Whitney Test (2-tailed, p=0.05) and a reflective critique. Results: Learning activities in this curriculum included: case-based learning, video critique, role play, scavenger hunt, jigsaw activity, think-pair-share, and a game-show style game. This study aims to show if, and how, providing interactive, hands-on learning sessions, which are directly relevant to clinical practice in the emergency department, positively impacted medical students beginning their clerkship in EM. Conclusion: Learners showed statistically significant positive improvement on all learning objectives of the curriculum. A reflective critique provides insight into lessons learned from delivering this curriculum and future directions for this curriculum. This learner-centered curriculum with innovative teaching methods and a considerable number of active learning strategies has encouraged the learners to take responsibility for their own learning. While this curriculum took place in the medical school, it can apply equally to learners completing their EM clerkship in a community or tertiary Emergency Department.

Towards augmented human memory: Retrieval-induced forgetting and retrieval practice in an interactive, end-of-day review.

The authors report 6 experiments that examined the contention that an end-of-day review could lead to augmentation in human memory. In Experiment 1, participants in the study phase were presented with a campus tour of different to-be-remembered objects in different university locations. Each to-be-remembered object was presented with an associated specific comment. Participants were then shown the location name and photographs of half of the objects from half of the locations, and they were asked to try to name the object and recall the associated comment specific to each item. Following a filled delay, participants were presented with the name of each campus location and were asked to free recall the to-be-remembered objects. Relative to the recall from the unpracticed location categories, participants recalled the names of significantly more objects that they practiced (retrieval practice) and significantly fewer unpracticed objects from the practiced locations (retrieval-induced forgetting, RIF). These findings were replicated in Experiment 2 using a campus scavenger hunt in which participants selected their own stimuli from experimenter’s categories. Following an examination of factors that maximized the effects of RIF and retrieval practice in the laboratory (Experiment 3), the authors applied these findings to the campus scavenger hunt task to create different retrieval practice schedules to maximize and minimize recall of items based on experimenter-selected (Experiment 4) and participant-selected items using both category-cued free recall (Experiment 5) and item-specific cues (Experiment 6). Their findings support the claim that an interactive, end-of-day review could lead to augmentation in human memory.

Modelling Record Keeping in an Undergraduate Physiology and Pharmacology Lab

We have observed that our students struggle to maintain proper laboratory records in our department's undergraduate thesis program. This skill is essential to attain as we prepare students for graduate work and professional programs. Therefore, when we designed a new combined Physiology and Pharmacology undergraduate lab this year, we incorporated record keeping as a component of the course evaluation. In our course design, we gamified a record keeping task to engage students in our first week of lab. We varied how we modelled our instructions prior to the game by implementing an analogy in one of our two lab sections. Although the use of analogy is a common practice in teaching, few studies have assessed the effectiveness of this type of instruction on skill acquisition and long‐term retention. We hypothesized that students exposed to the analogy would perform better on record keeping activities. Each of our two lab sections were given an interactive lecture using the same resources highlighting common errors made in lab records. One lab section was taught using the analogy of following a baking recipe during a live “cooking” show we performed, where they identified omissions of records or excessive details. The other section identified the same error types using examples of standard lab techniques. Directly following instruction, half of each section (group A) for both the analogy and standard instruction was tasked to complete a GPS‐enabled scavenger hunt using an app on their cellular phones. This scavenger hunt had four stations set up in different locations on campus where students completed basic lab skills such as pipetting, weighing, and labelling tubes. Group A students were instructed to maintain a record of their activity throughout the exercise based on the lecture just provided. Upon completion, these records were passed to the remaining students (group B) who were asked to follow them to replicate the exercise without the use of the GPS instructions, if possible. Upon completion of the game, group B students rated the effectiveness of the lab records provided by group A on a five point Likert scale for each station. Subsequently, instructors evaluated record accuracy. Using an unpaired t‐test, we found no significant differences in student perception of the effectiveness of written records between the baking analogy and standard instruction groups (p> 0.25). There was also no significant difference in the accuracy of the records between either lab section. However, we may observe long‐term differences in students' ability to maintain records once these are analyzed at the end of the academic year. Our current data are consistent with a study by Podolefsky & Finkelstein (2006) who showed no significant differences on a post‐test question after using an analogy to teach electromagnetic waves in a large undergraduate physics class. Some studies suggest that students may fail to understand a concept due to the inability to see the limitations of the analogy. Our students may have had difficulties transferring the analogy to the record keeping concept being taught. Alternatively, the exposure to a single analogy may not be robust enough to be effective in immediate skill acquisition.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Desperately seeking subjects: Increasingly specific criteria have left cancer trial researchers competing for a few viable candidates.

Desperately seeking subjects: Increasingly specific criteria have left cancer trial researchers competing for a few viable candidates.

A scavenger hunt using ultrasonic geocaches

Sound is commonly used for either communication or navigation. An ultrasonic scavenger hunt was designed that does both and is designed to raise awareness about acoustics. This scavenger hunts utilizes ultrasonic geocaches to both give information to the participants and educate them on topics including, the fact that sound may not be audible, the concept of hearing loss, other animals hear at different frequencies, and general facts from the hosting event. The geocaches use the frequency band above typical human hearing but still within the bandwidth of most personal electronics, 20 kHz–22 kHz. This band can be picked up by common smartphones and tablets and viewed using free spectrogram applications. The maximum sound pressure level output by the geocache devices falls below maximum public exposure recommendations but the signal is still visible on a spectrogram. The scavenger hunt was trialed at a science engagement event at the University of Southampton with over 6000 in attendance.

QR Code Lecture Activity as a Tool for Increasing Nonmajors Biology Students' Enjoyment of Interaction with Their Local Environment.

The impact of the Internet on education has been recognized for decades, and as technology advances, the ways in which students can access Internet content is ever increasing. Most students have some kind of portable smart device with which they access Internet content without the locational constraints of a desktop computer. This mobility has prompted abundant literature suggesting ways that Quick Response Codes (QR codes), a kind of two dimensional barcode, could be used to advance student learning. However, very few studies have tested the usefulness of QR codes in undergraduate science classes. We report on our development of a campus “scavenger hunt” activity using QR codes. We found that this activity develops application skills of the concepts of native and invasive species and enjoyment of coverage of content relative to traditional lecture in a nonmajors Environmental Science class at a four-year teaching institution.