GooseChase is a digital scavenger hunt-building platform, originally developed by university students during a hackathon at the University of Waterloo.
While not as immersive as a fully-developed Augmented Reality experience, GooseChase thrives in its incredibly low barrier set up process.
Small games (up to three teams) are completely free and a game can be set up in a matter of minutes with little-to-no technical ability. Mission types include open/validated text responses, photo/video uploads, and GPS location check-ins. Responses can be moderated by a game host as they are submitted, and teams’ contributions can be easily downloaded at the end of the experience to quickly create a photo/video slideshow.
I have used this platform to design campus-wide orientation programs for 7000+ undergraduate students, team building games for professional staff, and in-class educational activities for graduate students.
Fun Fact
The name “goosechase” refers to the exceptional
number of geese present on the uWaterloo campus.
The university has a bit of an inside joke about the local
goose population, leading to a variety of goose-themed
objects such as goose-watch and official campus merch.
This is fantastic! I love the name, too – I did my undergrad at UW and I love the connection. Too funny.
These types of platforms are great for learning as they are so much more fun, are engaging, and promote social connections. And you’re right – good for staff too. 🙂
Sounds like a great way to introduce to students that mobile devices are welcome and can be used for learning and socializing not just with external people and applications. It reminds me of other applications like Kahoot, Plickers or even mobile social games like Sensense that are low barrier but fulfil their role as icebreakers or formative assessment tools.
This is so cool! I did a scavenger hunt type activity when I was newly onboarded to a new job. I had to look through digital files and folders and fill out a blueprint. Except this scavenger hunt was not timed and I was not racing against anyone. I’ll definitely take a look and see if we can incorporate it to work some how. Thanks for sharing!