Librarians & Educators
Loki’s Loop games and play-based activities are designed for use in libraries, schools, and other educational settings.
This section provides all the information you need to choose an activity that best meets your needs.
In general, escape rooms are for ages 12-99 and can be completed in 60-90 minutes.
Kids activities are for ages 8-15 and consist of modules for flexible programming.
This section provides all the information you need to choose an activity that best meets your needs.
In general, escape rooms are for ages 12-99 and can be completed in 60-90 minutes.
Kids activities are for ages 8-15 and consist of modules for flexible programming.
Escape Room Games
Misinformation Play Pack
Escape Room Games
Background
What is the motivation behind Loki’s Loop?
Do you find that what’s been effective in the past to help people find credible information isn’t sufficient with the rise of misinformation? Interviews with librarians and teachers, along with research into why people believe certain information, revealed a strong need for new approaches that:
Hear from the project directors in this 4-minute introductory video:
Do you find that what’s been effective in the past to help people find credible information isn’t sufficient with the rise of misinformation? Interviews with librarians and teachers, along with research into why people believe certain information, revealed a strong need for new approaches that:
- Address the ways misinformation targets human vulnerabilities, such as cognitive biases and emotional triggers
- Respect people with different backgrounds and worldviews
- De-escalate the rhetoric around misinformation
- Support conversation about misinformation among community members in a safe environment
Hear from the project directors in this 4-minute introductory video:
Hear from librarians and teachers who have used the game in this 3-minute video:
View the WebJunction Launch Event
What are the goals?
Our escape room games are designed as a fun and engaging way for people to build resilience to misinformation.
The games aim to:
The games are not skills-oriented (though players do come away with specific knowledge), but rather are intended to shift how we think about misinformation, and our roles as individuals and communities in stopping the spread of misinformation.
Many librarians and teachers report that the games are especially helpful for priming people to think critically about misinformation, thereby opening the door for ongoing discussion and other learning activities. For adult participants, librarians report that the games work for facilitating conversation among people with different worldviews and ideological leanings. The social and collaborative nature of the escape rooms encourages teamwork, discussion, and collective sensemaking.
What does it look like?
These pictures give you an idea of what the in-person game looks like in action. As you can see, the escape room is played around tables by teams of 4-6 players with materials that you download and print beforehand. (We also have online games for virtual programming)
Our escape room games are designed as a fun and engaging way for people to build resilience to misinformation.
The games aim to:
- Boost critical awareness of misinformation technologies and tactics
- Generate reflection on individual and societal vulnerabilities to misinformation
- Create a safe space for sharing experiences and strategies with misinformation
The games are not skills-oriented (though players do come away with specific knowledge), but rather are intended to shift how we think about misinformation, and our roles as individuals and communities in stopping the spread of misinformation.
Many librarians and teachers report that the games are especially helpful for priming people to think critically about misinformation, thereby opening the door for ongoing discussion and other learning activities. For adult participants, librarians report that the games work for facilitating conversation among people with different worldviews and ideological leanings. The social and collaborative nature of the escape rooms encourages teamwork, discussion, and collective sensemaking.
What does it look like?
These pictures give you an idea of what the in-person game looks like in action. As you can see, the escape room is played around tables by teams of 4-6 players with materials that you download and print beforehand. (We also have online games for virtual programming)
Setting up the Game
How do I assemble the game materials?
Simply download the game kit and print the materials. You’ll need a color printer and common supplies like envelopes and pencils. Each game comes with detailed instructions.
Here’s an example of the Euphorigen Investigation Kit:
Simply download the game kit and print the materials. You’ll need a color printer and common supplies like envelopes and pencils. Each game comes with detailed instructions.
Here’s an example of the Euphorigen Investigation Kit:
Do you need access to the Internet?
Most of our escape rooms involve one or more times when players need to go online to access information. At least one person from each team needs to have a smartphone or laptop.
What is the role of the game host?
The librarian or teacher serves as the game host. Your role is to:
Most of our escape rooms involve one or more times when players need to go online to access information. At least one person from each team needs to have a smartphone or laptop.
What is the role of the game host?
The librarian or teacher serves as the game host. Your role is to:
- Have fun! Your energy can have a big impact on the energy of the game.
- Celebrate when players accomplish puzzles or game levels!
- Nudge players in the right direction and provide hints if they struggle
- Facilitate the post-game debrief discussion
Running the Game
Running the game is straightforward. Escape room games do not have any rules so you can start immediately and players will figure things out as they go.
Getting Started
During the Game
During the game, the game host should observe the activity and progress. If it looks like a team is struggling, walk over and provide encouragement or a hint. The goal is to try and have every team finish the game within the allotted time, so you may have to help some teams more than others.
Most games contain one or more moments when the players must interact with the game host. In the Euphorigen Investigation, for example, there are two times when players turn in an answer card in order to receive an envelope containing the next game pieces.
The game host should also periodically announce how much time is left in the game. This typically serves to boost the energy level in the room. Some game hosts have a timer projected on a screen.
Giving Hints
The biggest question new game hosts have is when to provide hints. It’s a balancing act. On the one hand, player satisfaction is greatest when they are able to figure out things on their own. You’ll see that “yeah, we did it!” when a team solves a particularly challenging puzzle without help. Moreover, a core learning goal is that misinformation is difficult to identify, and we want people to experience that challenge.
On the other hand, we want people to have fun! This is a game! You do not want players to get too frustrated. Recognizing the line between positive struggling and frustrated struggling is the art of being a great game host. New game hosts tend to offer hints too early, so we generally recommend resisting this urge. Remember, you know the answers and it will seem obvious to you. But not for the players!
Another balancing act is keeping track of the time. Each game has an expected completion time (e.g. 45 minutes for Euphorigen Investigation). Some teams finish quickly, others take longer. We recommend moving people along so that everyone has a chance to complete the game. It is important to leave time for the post-game discussion.
Ending the Game
Depending on progress, you may want to extend the time to allow all or most teams to finish.
Getting Started
- Set your space up in advance by arranging tables or desks that people can gather around. Depending on the game, this may involve placing envelopes on each table or posting materials on the wall.
- Ask people to gather in teams of 4-6 players around each table
- Let them know you’re available to provide hints (but not answers!) if they run into difficulties.
- Let them know that one person from each team will need to use their phone or laptop to access any online components of the game.
- Read the game’s mission statement Start the game and a timer!
During the Game
During the game, the game host should observe the activity and progress. If it looks like a team is struggling, walk over and provide encouragement or a hint. The goal is to try and have every team finish the game within the allotted time, so you may have to help some teams more than others.
Most games contain one or more moments when the players must interact with the game host. In the Euphorigen Investigation, for example, there are two times when players turn in an answer card in order to receive an envelope containing the next game pieces.
The game host should also periodically announce how much time is left in the game. This typically serves to boost the energy level in the room. Some game hosts have a timer projected on a screen.
Giving Hints
The biggest question new game hosts have is when to provide hints. It’s a balancing act. On the one hand, player satisfaction is greatest when they are able to figure out things on their own. You’ll see that “yeah, we did it!” when a team solves a particularly challenging puzzle without help. Moreover, a core learning goal is that misinformation is difficult to identify, and we want people to experience that challenge.
On the other hand, we want people to have fun! This is a game! You do not want players to get too frustrated. Recognizing the line between positive struggling and frustrated struggling is the art of being a great game host. New game hosts tend to offer hints too early, so we generally recommend resisting this urge. Remember, you know the answers and it will seem obvious to you. But not for the players!
Another balancing act is keeping track of the time. Each game has an expected completion time (e.g. 45 minutes for Euphorigen Investigation). Some teams finish quickly, others take longer. We recommend moving people along so that everyone has a chance to complete the game. It is important to leave time for the post-game discussion.
Ending the Game
Depending on progress, you may want to extend the time to allow all or most teams to finish.
- When each team turns in their final answer card, write the time on the cards.
- Hand out an “I escaped misinformation” sign for photos (optional)
- When all teams have completed, end the game
- Announce the completion times for each team, and congratulate the winners.
Running the Debrief
Debrief Purpose
All games end with a post-game debrief. This is the point at which most learning occurs so it is very important to leave sufficient time for this component. The debrief allows players to process what happened during the game, share their reactions, and learn from their peers.
All games end with a post-game debrief. This is the point at which most learning occurs so it is very important to leave sufficient time for this component. The debrief allows players to process what happened during the game, share their reactions, and learn from their peers.
- Conduct the debrief as a single conversation. Team/s that finish first can have a short break until the last team finishes.
- Use the debrief guide to ask players questions and facilitate a conversation among all players. You may also wish to use a projector.
- You may also use the game resources kit. This kit contains examples from real life that match the puzzles in the game.
- Hand out a debrief guide to each team when they turn in their final answer card
- Ask them to discuss the questions as a team
- Once all teams are done and have had a chance to talk amongst themselves, reconvene everyone for a full group discussion
- Ask teams to share what they discussed at their tables
Other Activities
You may wish to incorporate other activities into the debrief. For instance, we ran an event where we asked the teams to create a meme or poster that represents something they learned from the game. There are many possibilities!
You may wish to incorporate other activities into the debrief. For instance, we ran an event where we asked the teams to create a meme or poster that represents something they learned from the game. There are many possibilities!
Misinformation Play Pack
Background
The Misinformation Play Pack is a collection of play-based activities and curricula for children and youth ages 8-15. The project was completed by KidsTeam UW as part of an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant. Our three curricula explore three aspects of misinformation: artificial intelligence, the rabbit hole effect, and online video.
While we have designed our Play Pack to be used within libraries, the activities are also able to be utilized in a variety of educational settings, including in classrooms and other institutions such as museums. While we provide a variety of materials to run the activities, we encourage librarians and educators to iterate and adjust our activities to fit their context.
While we have designed our Play Pack to be used within libraries, the activities are also able to be utilized in a variety of educational settings, including in classrooms and other institutions such as museums. While we provide a variety of materials to run the activities, we encourage librarians and educators to iterate and adjust our activities to fit their context.
How to use the Activities
The Misinformation Play pack consists of three parts. Firstly, we have created two curricula comprising a variety of play-based activities aimed at AI, misinformation, and Online Videos.
Each activity is designed for flexibility, allowing educators to use them in a mix-and-match fashion or as standalone experiences. The duration of each activity is tailored to take 45 minutes to an hour, making them manageable for various learning settings. The design of these activities emphasizes a low-tech approach. However, they can be easily adapted to incorporate higher-tech elements, such as utilizing actual video editing software. Additionally, each activity has comprehensive explanations and accompanying slide decks to facilitate effective implementation.
The activity designed for the experience of falling down the misinformation rabbit hole, Starbound Secrets, is a game-based experience designed for Minecraft education. In this game, 2-3 children work together to explore an abandoned spaceship.
The activity designed for the experience of falling down the misinformation rabbit hole, Starbound Secrets, is a game-based experience designed for Minecraft education. In this game, 2-3 children work together to explore an abandoned spaceship.
