FrançaisMon GO (Fall 2016) – Instructor Guide

Are you an instructor and want to know more about the logistics of FrançaisMon GO? You’re in luck! Below you’ll find:

a brief activity overview
a top-secret breakdown of the tasks by course and ProfStop
an instructor-specific FAQ

Activity Overview

FrançaisMon GO was a QR Scavenger Hunt activity themed around the popular app, Pokémon GO. Designed for my FRE1120 and FRE1121 courses, it was also playable by anyone on Broward College Central Campus. Even if you didn’t know any French, you could participate by completing the activities in English instead (though you may have needed a friend or Google Translate to help you understand some of the prompts).

To complete the entire activity, students must:

Decipher the French clues (contained in the MarcelDex) to the locations of hidden ProfStops around campus
Find the ProfStops and scan the QR code
Complete a French language task unique to individual ProfStops to receive part of a code
Assemble the entire code by finding and completing the tasks at every ProfStop
Complete the final French task unlocked with the full code

If you have any questions from a participant’s perspective, check out the General FAQ.

Task Breakdown

I’ve also included direct links to the activity pages if you’d like to see exactly what students will see.

Note: Pikachu (025) is listed first since it is part of the activity introduction.

FRE1120

Pikachu (025) (Introduction Video)
- Create a short profile by answering questions about personality and physical appearance
- Design a cartoon avatar
Bulbizarre (001) (In Front of Library)
- Play a Quizlet game to practice clothing vocabulary
- Submit screenshot of high score / best time
Salamèche (004) (Communications Office – 9/200)
- Have a conversation with Naïma (if she’s available) and write a summary
- Alternative Activity: Record a video message for Naïma
Carapuce (007) (Under Bench by Lake at East BC Entrance)
- Take a photo and describe the current weather
Rondoudou (039) (Second Floor of Bailey Hall in Café – Temporary Art Exhibit)
- Describe favorite piece of art
- Attempt to draw the art
- Submit photos of both
Alakazam (065) (Entrance to Tutoring Lab)
- Have a conversation with a French tutor (if one’s available) and write a summary
- Alternative Activity: Record a video message for a French tutor
Mackogneur (068) (Display Case in Gymnasium Hallway)
- Watch video on popular sports in a French school
- Answer questions
Excelangue (108) (Dunkin Donuts in Library)
- React to a sign from a French café
- State preferences about Dunkin Donuts menu
Leveinard (113) (Under Stairs on Ground Floor of Health Science Simulation Building – 1008)
- Take a series of photos demonstrating prepositions of place
M. Mime (122) (Next to Statues in Art Building – 6)
- Take a series of photos or a video demonstrating expressions with faire
Évoli (133) (Student Life in Building 19)
- Complete a personality and preferences quiz
- Different answers yield different results
- Submit screenshot of personal result
Mew (151) (Accessed via Completed Code)
- Record a video or create a presentation on one of three topics: Family, Home, or Weekend/Vacation Plans

FRE1121

Pikachu (025) (Introduction Video)
- Create a short profile by answering questions about personality and physical appearance
- Design a cartoon avatar
Bulbizarre (001) (In Front of Library)
- Play a Quizlet game to practice food vocabulary
- Submit screenshot of high score / best time
Salamèche (004) (Communications Office – 9/200)
- Have a conversation with Naïma (if she’s available) and write a summary
- Alternative Activity: Record a video message for Naïma
Carapuce (007) (Under Bench by Lake at East BC Entrance)
- Take a photo and convert it into a postcard by writing a short letter
Rondoudou (039) (Second Floor of Bailey Hall in Café – Temporary Art Exhibit)
- Describe favorite piece of art
- Attempt to draw the art
- Submit photos of both
Alakazam (065) (Entrance to Tutoring Lab)
- Have a conversation with a French tutor (if one’s available) and write a summary
- Alternative Activity: Record a video message for a French tutor
Mackogneur (068) (Display Case in Gymnasium Hallway)
- Watch the music video for J’ai cherché by Amir
- Answer questions and analyze themes
Excelangue (108) (Dunkin Donuts in Library)
- Record a video answering questions about snack preferences, including deciding what to order from Dunking Donuts and giving the price(s)
Leveinard (113) (Under Stairs on Ground Floor of Health Science Simulation Building – 1008)
- React to a French comic strip about the evolution of modern communication
M. Mime (122) (Next to Statues in Art Building – 6)
- Take a series of photos or a video demonstrating vacation activities
Évoli (133) (Student Life in Building 19)
- Complete a personality and preferences quiz
- Different answers yield different results
- Submit screenshot of personal result
Mew (151) (Accessed via Completed Code)
- Watch the music video for Carmen by Stromae
- Answer questions and analyze themes

faq

Q: How do students submit their work?

A: It depends on the activity. If they are asked to respond in writing, they submit a built-in web form and their responses are directed to me as the webmaster. If they have to submit a file (photo/audio/video), they can email it to me or upload it to a folder on our D2L page. Additionally, I give them to option to do a social media share on Twitter or Instagram.

Q: Can students cheat? How do I verify that they actually did the activity?

A: Though it is always possible to side-step certain aspects of the activity, I have gone to great lengths to prevent or strongly hinder students from not completing the tasks as intended.

Copying – Each task is designed with the individual in mind – there is no single correct answer. Moreover, the tasks are greatly varied, pushing what students can do with their phones and rendering copying answers needless or impossible (playing games, making a video, taking pictures, etc.)

Not Visiting a ProfStop – In order to even access an activity, students must scan a QR code only located on the physical ProfStop sign. Even if they did type in the direct web address, the task often requires some engagement with the surrounding environment (taking a picture, video, etc.)

Submitting the Full Code Without Completing Activities – While it is technically possible to simply click through the pages and find out all of the code pieces or even be told the full code by a friend, the code input page does not grant immediate access to the final task. Instead, it sends a message to me for approval. This allows me to verify that the student did actually complete all of the other tasks before I respond with a link to the last activity.

Q: Why aren’t the instructions in French?

A: My original intent was to have the instructions completely in French with the English translation in spoiler tags. However, the version of WordPress I’m using does not support spoiler tags. Thus, I went with English instructions to avoid confusion and to ensure that students wouldn’t give up on the activity simply because they didn’t understand the task. All of the actual questions to which students must respond are in French. As a side benefit, it does allow for limited participation from non-French speakers.

Q: How does grading work? What do students get out of it?

A: Personally, because this is quite an involved activity (and not to everyone’s taste), I do not require it. Instead, I offer a substantial amount of extra credit to both reward their effort and encourage participation. They can earn points based on the quality of their work as well as the number of tasks completed. Additionally, I also have some small physical prizes that I give for certain achievements, such as being a high score record holder, being the first to find a certain ProfStop, or completing every single task. This also serves as incentive for students who may not need or want extra credit.

Q: I’m at Broward College. How can my students participate? How do I see their work?

A: Simply direct your students to ProfTrent.com! I made physical copies of the MarcelDex and FAQ for my students, but yours can use the digital versions. If you’d like printouts, just let me know!

To make things easier, I’d suggest setting up an assignment folder on your course D2L page so that students can upload their files for you there. For the activities that require submitting typed answers, be sure to have your students include your name so that I can forward their responses to you for evaluation.