Creating Fair Game, an Online Computer Game on Fair Use

Fair Game is an online computer game that teaches undergraduate students about ethically using copyrighted materials in course assignments. The game, created in a collaboration between Augusta University Libraries and the Center for Instructional Innovation, focuses on the doctrine of fair use and its four factors. This article presents a case study on the game’s design and development following a recommended practice from the literature: mapping an information literacy model to gameplay using the game design theory of aligning game mechanics to learning mechanics. The authors discuss their experience with mapping portions of the Association of College and Research Libraries framework (2015) and using the Learning Mechanics–Game Mechanics Model (Arnab et al., 2015) for designing Fair Game. The authors recommend future game makers also consider aligning motivational learning theories to game design.