A text-based adventure game that serves as an educational tool for learning about proper Research Data Management (RDM) was recently launched at Stellenbosch University (SU).
This is according to Samuel Simango, a research data services manager at SU and a co-developer of the game. The conception of the RDM Adventure Game, which launched on 8 March, resulted from collaboration between the SU Library and the University of Bath library, according to Simango.
The University of Bath developers include Alex Ball, the lead developer involved in the planning and codification process, and Nushrat Khan, a researcher who reviewed the game in the development process by playing it, providing critique and suggesting improvements, according to Simango.
One of the co-developers of the Research Data Management Adventure Game is Samuel Simango, a research data services manager at Stellenbosch University. PHOTO: Supplied/Samuel Simango
The game is freely available online, and was developed with the intention of addressing a universal issue — that “people in academia are having a problem with managing their data”, according to Simango. “Gamifying the RDM learning experience serves as a more hands-on manner in which to educate people,” he said.
The game has been endorsed by the Wellcome Trust, a global donor which funds research, according to Simango. Furthermore, the Wellcome Trust has included the game in the Wellcome Open Research early career researchers pack, said Simango.
“The RDM Adventure Game has been in the works since 2017,” stated Simango. At this stage, the game has been accessed in 30 countries by over 500 players, he said.
A timeline showing the development process of the RDM Adventure Game. INFOGRAPHIC: Sibulela Bolarinwa
According to Nicole Taylor, a PhD candidate in mechatronic engineering at SU, the game can save researchers a lot of time and give them a better perspective on the factors that need to be considered before going into their research.
“[The] RDM course that the library offers, together with the game, is really helpful for new postgraduate students going in a more research-based direction,” said Taylor.
The game tests your logical thinking and “is good enough to be used as a reference point”, said Dr Kim Martin, a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of forestry and wood sciences at SU.
Users of the game are not prevented from making bad decisions as they move through levels, as this simulates real life, said Simango. The game autosaves, so players are able to keep their progress as they move through the stages of their research journey, according to Simango.