Pokemon Go Survey Engages Students on Campus

As students move to campus for orientation, many are bringing smartphones with the popular app Pokemon Go. Departments and organizations on campus are experimenting with how to use the popular augmented reality game to reach out to students and promote related activities. The Honors College, IT Services, Housing and the registered student organization OGRE—the Organization for Gaming and Recreational Events—collaborated to place yard signs at 30 of the 86 Pokemon Go stops on campus.

The organizations partnered to create a survey that uses infographics to highlight new technology free for students this semester, such as Lynda.com and Office 365, and publicizes the upgraded campus Wi-Fi. The brief survey also asks for feedback about technology needs, interest in new initiatives such as beacon technology, familiarity with eSports, the Student Technology Center and e-gaming.

"It was amazing having groups across campus come together supporting students playing games," Stephen Ritterbush, director of information systems at the Honors College, said. "Seventy percent of college students game regularly. For many it is part of their identity, and we have a chance to bring students together doing what they love as a community. We're currently collaborating on a Pokestop map of campus that will follow the survey, as the next step in our continuing support."

Students who do not play Pokemon Go can still take the survey at tinyurl.com/pokesurvey. For those Pokemon fans out there, watch where you're going and be safe!

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