Have you ever wondered what Knowledge Commons has to offer beyond the features you use every day? Whether you’re brand new to the platform or a longtime member, this month we’re introducing the Knowledge Quest as a fun way to discover new tools, connect with the community, and uncover resources that can support your research and teaching!
How It Works
Every week for the next five weeks, we’ll post a new activity, puzzle, or list of challenges. We’ll share them on our team blog, as well as in The Commons Room group. Your mission is simple: complete the activities by exploring Knowledge Commons and add a reply to the Commons Room discussion board.
The activities may ask you to:
- Find a Group related to your interests.
- Discover a KCWorks Collection on a topic you’re curious about.
- Locate an open-access article or dataset.
- Add content to your Commons profile
- Learn about features you may not have used before.
Some activities are quick and easy, while others encourage you to dive a little deeper into the platform. There are no wrong answers—the goal is to explore, learn something new, and become more comfortable using Knowledge Commons!
Weekly Themes
Each week highlights a different part of the platform, including:
- Week 1: The Quest Begins!
- Week 2: Profile Power-Up
- Week 3: Open Access Adventure
- Week 4: Community Connections
- Week 5: Secrets of the Commons
Challenges will be posted on Mondays or Tuesdays (with the exception of this week’s challenge, which will be posted tomorrow), and you’ll have until the following Sunday to complete each challenge. If you miss a week, it’s no big deal! You can jump right back in whenever you want to.
Not all who wander are lost…some are earning badges!
The best part of the Knowledge Quest is that we’re rolling out a brand new feature on Commons profiles! Each challenge will require a short discussion board post in The Commons Room. If you complete each week’s challenge on time, you’ll receive a digital badge. By the end of the event, you’ll have built a collection of badges on your Commons profile recognizing your journey—from first-time explorer to Commons expert!
The badges you earn through Knowledge Quest are just the beginning. This first set of badges allow you to explore what’s possible, celebrate your participation, and recognize your growing Knowledge Commons skills. As we see how badges work on the Commons, we hope to expand the ways badges can be used to highlight achievements, encourage exploration, and celebrate the many ways you contribute to the Knowledge Commons community. By participating in the Quest, you’re helping us fine tune this exciting new offering.
Why Participate?
The Knowledge Quest isn’t about racing to the finish—it’s about discovering resources that can make your scholarly work easier and more connected.
By the end of the challenge, you’ll know how to:
- Find researchers and communities that share your interests.
- Discover openly available scholarship and teaching resources.
- Navigate KCWorks collections with confidence.
- Make the most of your Knowledge Commons profile.
- Take advantage of features you may never have realized were available.
Whether you complete one week’s challenges or all of them, you’ll come away knowing a little more about the community and the tools available to support your work!
Ready to begin? Join The Commons Room and we’ll post your first quest tomorrow. Happy exploring!