Webliography: Factitious
Webliography Entry 2: Factitious
- Reviewer: Crystal Donlan
- Game Title: Factitious
- Developer: JoLT and American University Game Lab
- Release Date: July 3, 2017
- Genre: Educational
- Audience: Tween/Teen/Adult
- URL: 2017 edition – http://factitious2017.augamestudio.com/#/
2018 edition – http://factitious.augamestudio.com/#/
2020/Pandemic edition – http://factitious-pandemic.augamestudio.com/#/
- Overview: Factitious is a free web-based educational game that offers its participants the opportunity to engage in authentic news literacy1 By providing its users hands-on experience in differentiating between genuine and bogus news articles, the fact-checking game reinforces critical thinking and research analysis techniques required of 21st century media consumers2. Created through a partnership between American University’s Game Lab and its School of Communication, Factitious was conceptualized as an application of theoretical framework3 that engagement through gaming4 can increase meaningful learning in the journalistic and communications arts.
With Tinder5-like mechanics6, the actual gameplay7 of Factitious consists of a simple swipe-left (indicating refusal) or swipe-right (indicating approval) after assessing each news story; alternatively, players may click a red “x” to indicate a fake news story or click a green checkmark to indicate a real news article. The game has three progressive levels of difficulty – easy (middle school), medium (high school), and hard (college); it also boasts several editions, including its most recent pandemic version where participants analyze news articles pertaining to the current covid-198 global health crisis. Scoring focuses not only on selection accuracy but also on the user’s information-seeking choices; thoroughly reading the article and examining the news source will yield additional points for players.
Due to its applicability9 in lesson plans10 across the curriculum, Factitious: Classroom Edition11 was the subject of a community funding initiative that could potentially develop a broader iteration of the game to include expansion of its existing content and specialization by grade level. With its level of usability and universally relevant focus on literacy, Factitious lends itself to a broad scope of instructional integration12.
JoLT’s Innovation in Journalism Through Engagement Design toolkit13 is a 14-page PDF outlining design principles for the incorporation of games in communications instruction.
- Applied Review: In unison with the American Library Association (ALA), the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has identified best practices14 in literacy pedagogy to include learner-centered instruction that “[e]mploys diverse approaches to teaching and learning in order to improve student engagement” and “[u]ses relevant and appropriate information technology and other media resources to support pedagogy and learning” (ACRL, 2019). Further, the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) cites “active inquiry and critical thinking about the messages we receive and create” as the first of its six of its core principles15 (NAMLE, 2019). Factitious scaffolds media literacy learning through game-based interaction designed to promote and enhance student engagement and ongoing inquiry.
Within my practice as an English and communications instructor at a community college, I have incorporated reflective activities based on gameplay of Factitious as one part of a three-module unit through which satisfactory completion yields achievement of a media literacy digital badge. This badge is awarded within the course LMS, and is fully transferable as a digital micro-credential. Students report their use of Factitious has both increased their self-awareness of news literacy practices and reinforced their media analysis training.
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1 Powers, E. (2010). Teaching news literacy in the age of new media: Why secondary school students should be taught to judge the credibility of the news they consume. All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs), 455. https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/etd/455/ Retrieved October 20, 2020.
2 Boren, J. (2019). Here’s how you can be a smart news consumer, and not get trapped by those trying to deceive you with ‘fake news.’ Fresno State Institute for Media and Public Trust. https://mediaandpublictrust.com/2019/04/25/heres-how-you-can-be-a-smart-news-consumer-and-not-get-trapped-by-those-trying-to-deceive-you-with-fake-news/ Retrieved October 20, 2020.
3 American University School of Communication (2017). JoLT talk: What journalists can learn from game design thinking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmFY6CaQhcU Retrieved October 20, 2020.
4 American University School of Communication (2017). School of Communication JoLT project: Innovation in journalism through engagement design executive summary. https://www.american.edu/soc/news/upload/jolt-exec-summary.pdf Retrieved on October 20, 2020.
5 Preston, D. (2020). How to use Tinder. Tech Advisor IDG. https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/software/tinder-3515013/ Retrieved on October 20, 2020.
6 Davies, J. (2015). Why tinder charmers and movie heroes move the same way. Nautilus. http://nautil.us/blog/why-tinder-charmers-and-movie-heroes-move-the-same-way Retrieved on October 20, 2020.
7 Hone, B. (2018). How to play the Factitious 2018 news game. Medium. https://medium.com/@bobhone.designer/how-to-play-the-factitious-2018-news-game-9969aaa8f2a7 Retrieved on October 20, 2020.
8 Koeze. E., & Popper, N. (2020). The virus changed the way we internet. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/07/technology/coronavirus-internet-use.html Retrieved on October 20, 2020.
9 American University (2018). Teachers find fake news fighting game useful in the classroom:‘Factitious 2018’ gives teachers new tool to help students spot fake news. NewsWise. https://www.newswise.com/politics/teachers-find-fake-news-fighting-game-useful-in-the-classroom/?article_id=701832 Retrieved on October 20, 2020.
10 Maria L. (2020). Lesson plan: Don’t get tricked by fake news! Common Sense Education. https://www.commonsense.org/education/lesson-plans/dont-get-tricked-by-fake-news Retrieved on October 20, 2020.
11 Community Funded (2018). Factitious news game: Classroom edition. https://campaigns.communityfunded.com/projects/honeamerican-edu/factitious-news-game-classroom-edition/ Retrieved on October 20, 2020.
12 TechFifteen (2017). Factitious: Fake news in a game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73H7e0KNY5w Retrieved on October 20, 2020.
13 American University Game Lab & JoLT (2017). Innovation in journalism through engagement design: A toolkit. https://www.american.edu/soc/news/upload/jolt-toolkit.pdf Retrieved on October 20, 2020.
14 Association of College and Research Libraries (2019). Characteristics of programs of information literacy that illustrate best practices: A guideline. American Library Association. http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/characteristics Retrieved on October 20, 2020.
15 National Association for Media Literacy Education (2019). Media literacy: The basic definition. NAMLE. https://medialiteracyweek.us/resources/media-literacy-basics/ Retrieved on October 20, 2020.