Optimising teaching and learning through the integration of digital tools - Citequest: dungeons & dragons

CiteQuest: Dungeons & Dragons is a Digital Educational Escape Room (DEER) game designed to make the learning of APA style citation and referencing both fun and effective. By incorporating the iconic Dungeons & Dragons idea, the game turns the usually tedious and stressful task of grasping citation techniques into an exciting adventure. Players embark on a series of quests, completing puzzles that require them to apply citation rules correctly in order to move forward through the game and eventually slay a fierce fire-breathing dragon. The issue that it addresses is the common struggle among students to learn and master citation practices as students commonly find citation rules complicated and difficult to remember, limiting their ability to apply them appropriately in their academic writing tasks. The game's primary goal is to improve students' understanding, retention, and practical application of APA citation requirements by providing an interactive and engaging learning experience. Key features include narrative-driven gameplay, real-time feedback, and tasks that gradually increase in difficulty. CiteQuest: Dungeons & Dragons, designed for university students, allows for both individual and group play, making it suitable for classroom use or independent study. The game's unique selling feature is its ability to turn an essential academic skill into an enjoyable and challenging activity, addressing typical student citation issues and encouraging more consistent use of correct citing strategies.