The document discusses a game called "Meus Direitos" (My Rights) that was created for Brazilian law students. The game aims to improve student engagement and understanding of legal concepts by simulating real-life legal cases. Players take on the role of a lawyer and must decide whether to take cases, research legal issues, and determine the best course of action. The game environment becomes more advanced as players gain points by winning cases. It is intended to supplement traditional education and help identify gaps in student understanding.

1. Information Architecture
GAMING AS A POWER TOOL FOR LAW
STUDENTS IN BRAZIL:
THE GAME "MEUS DIREITOS" (MY RIGHTS)
Gamification has been receiving a lot of interest
recently, due to its success in medical, social,
lifestyle and business. In the scope of university
education, it may be useful, to improve lecture
attendance, content understanding, problem solving
skills and general engagement. In this sense, this
work describes the game "Meus Direitos" (in
English: My Rights), a new learning tool addressed
to Brazilian law students. “Meus Direitos” aims to
improve the interest and general engagement in law
studies.
The game improves the learning by simulating
environments of a lawyer's everyday life. In
addition, it may be a powerful tool to help teachers
and students in a learning environment, providing
information about the main understanding gaps.
“Meus Direitos” is a simulation game of legal cases,
with characters and graphic animations - developed
for the web and mobile platforms - in which the
player assumes the role of a lawyer who receives
inquiries from potential customers by phone, email
or personal attention.
The cases presented may (or may not) have a legal
basis. Depending on each situation, the player could
accept the case, or reject it. However, if the player
feels uncertain about the answer, he can access the
textbooks in a digital platform. After accepting the
case, the player must to analyze the different
possibilities in order to provide a legal support to
presented situation. Right after that, if the player
was successful, he has to choose the appropriate
action in order to take the legal measures.
The game is set in three different lawyer’s offices.
In the beginning of the game, the player will find
himself (his character) in a simple and small office
and with a modest decoration. Then, with the game
advancement, and if the player keep winning the
cases, he earn points that can be used to buy better
offices, to hire interns, lawyers etc.
“Meus Direitos” may be still used to create a
internal competition with the students, aiming to
reinforce the engagement. Also, each semester all
the players are involved together in a national
ranking in which the ten best scorers are invited to
attend an award ceremony.
In the course of the Informational Literacy, "Meus
Direitos" may reveal a useful role in university
libraries, specially those who has Legal Studies
Programs.
Evanildo Vieira dos Santos
Bachelor's degree in Librarianship, is also journalist and lawyer. MSc in
Intellectual Property and Innovation, by the Intellectual Property and
Innovation Academia, at the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial
Property (INPI ). Postgraduate degree in Management of Information
Systems . Is the Librarian Head of the INPI, and professor of the training
course on Intellectual Property for Librarians.
Thiago Guimarães Peixoto
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and postgraduate degree in Group
Dynamics. Is student of Master’s Program in Intellectual Property and
Innovation, by the Intellectual Property and Innovation Academia, at the
Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). He is also
Institutional Researcher at Estácio University where researches the role of
games and gamification in the adult education.
IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2014
Information Literacy Section Satellite Meeting
hosted by Limerick Institute of Technology,
Limerick, Republic of Ireland
August 14-15th 2014
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