A Model for Running Effective Educational Scavenger Hunts During Campus Orientation to Onboard new University Students.
University orientation plays a crucial role in fostering student engagement, social integration, and retention. This practice report describes the development and refinement of a game-based orientation activity: a digital scavenger hunt designed to enhance engagement, social connectedness, and campu...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Southern Queensland
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Student Success |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://studentsuccessjournal.org/index.php/studentsuccess/article/view/3786 |
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| Summary: | University orientation plays a crucial role in fostering student engagement, social integration, and retention. This practice report describes the development and refinement of a game-based orientation activity: a digital scavenger hunt designed to enhance engagement, social connectedness, and campus familiarisation. The activity was guided by the ENGAGE framework, a practical six-stage model for creating effective scavenger hunts. Over three years (2023 to 2025), it was iteratively improved based on participant feedback and evaluated using the MEEGA+ game evaluation framework. Feedback highlighted strong outcomes in social interaction, campus exploration, and enjoyment. Importantly, the initiative demonstrates how game-based activities can be scaled across years with minimal staff input. This report shares lessons learned and presents a practical, low-effort, and effective model that other institutions can adapt to improve student transitions and success through engaging, game-based orientation experiences. |
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| ISSN: | 2205-0795 |