For one week in early April, 75 LAU students on both campuses went to great lengths to investigate facts, follow clues and post the fruits of their labor on social media platforms. They signed off with fun team names, —“Boya and the Brushes” stands out, for one— always accompanied with two hashtags: “#LAURallyPaper” and “#LAUCentennial.”

The event was one of many centennial initiatives that will continue to unite the university community in marking its first century throughout this year.

The LAU Mixed Reality (XR) Rally Paper, which took place online, virtually and in person, comprised five levels of challenges with increasing difficulty related to LAU’s history, sustainability practices, campus buildings and technology, among other themes.

After joining the rally paper game, the students had to find challenges hidden as clickable items within 360-degree video tours of both the Beirut and Byblos campuses. The challenges included identifying a fourth-generation LAU student to interview, locating QR codes hidden at LAU’s writing centers on both campuses and answering questions about ongoing sustainable initiatives at the university.

The aim was “to help students learn about LAU’s rich history and vibrant future,” while showcasing some of the innovative technology available to the entire LAU community, said Assistant Provost for Educational Resources and Innovation Jordan Srour.

Students formed teams of two to four participants who vied for first place from April 2 to 9. The winners were announced at an online recognition event on April 16.

The members of “F Prime C” each won $250, while the “Road Warriors” took home $125 each, and in third place, the “Dice Rollers” were each rewarded with $50. But the awards were small tokens of something far greater and less quantifiable.

Dr. Srour noted the frequent use of the words “family” and “home” in the interviews the students posted on social media. “What a truly beautiful thing that a university founded 100 years ago has served as such a loving home to so many. I am glad that our rally paper student participants got to enjoy that spirit firsthand through the game!” she said.

The students persisted through the challenges amid midterms, projects, and various academic deadlines. Dr. Srour received phone calls from university staff members who were surprised to find themselves fielding questions about LAU’s solar power and rainwater capture—topics they had never been asked about by students before.

The idea for the event started with the XR Taskforce Committee, a non-exclusionary group of faculty and staff from different schools who share a passion for marrying cutting-edge technologies with pedagogical practices.

In partnership with the Center for Innovative Learning (CIL), a team of 10 faculty and staff members then took on the organizational and execution elements that were needed to set up the rally paper.

Faculty members included Dr. Samar Aad, Dr. Zahy Ramadan, Dr. Joseph Helou, Dr. Maha Habre, Dr. Robin Taleb and Dr. Srour. CIL’s Multimedia Designers Issa Al-Khanji and Ricardo El Khoury helped in building up the 360-degree tours of the two campuses, where some of the questions were hidden. Instructional Designer Douaa Zaidan, also at CIL, created the webpage with adaptive release features, while Senior Applications Administrator Dima Tawk assisted in registering the students on the Blackboard application, and Lead Library Technologies & Innovation Manager Hani Salem helped the students navigate the innovative technology that is available at the LAU Libraries.

The members of the winning teams were:

• Lea Al Habr, Michael Jassaf, Rita Nassif and Sarkis Loussararian from the “F Prime C.”
• Ghadi El Hawa, Marilyn Gharios, Rita El Daccache and Thomas Naouchi from the “Road Warriors.”
• Jennifer Matta, Joe El Hage, Lynn Salman and Mira Abouzeid from the “Dice Rollers.”

The following teams were given honorable mentions:

• “Boya and the Brushes”: Elie Feghaly, Karim Kaouk, Karl Joe Boyajian and Simon Youssef.
• “The Brainiacs”: Hadi Akl, Hala Ballouz, Karen El Khoury and Nour Hijazi.
• “Power Puff Girls”: Amani Ouaidat, Lynn Mansour, Reem Boughanem and Sirina Shmeit.
• “Wiggle Worm”: Jason Mitri, Jimmy Samaha, Kiryl Irani and Peter Azzi.

Another XR-enabled rally paper is being planned for next fall.