Starting with each of the different Dungeons & Dragons versions back to Original D&D.
These are brief excerpts from some of my papers on the neuroscience of learning and relevance to role-playing games. Complete versions are available to Patreon supporters, research staff and RPG.Education students.
Any of you following our 10 or so streams per week have probably heard RPG Research's founder Hawke Robinson state time and again that RPG publishers have set an unnecessarily high barrier to entry due to dependence on the mass-loading and mentor model in about 99% of role-playing games. This generally means that the vast majority of the world population is left out of the benefits of RPGs. We're fixing that, without dumbing down the game systems and their benefits!
A lot of larps are either more combat oriented or more freeform oriented. We're looking for something that is as close to a heroic, "good guys only", tabletop role-playing game, but includes moving around physically, but does not allow any physical contact, and isn't overly focused on combat. Anyone know of something actually published, with adventures, that fits these criteria? This is for atrisk and incarcerated populations.
RPG Research was nominated as a "Difference Maker" for upcoming event taking place April 19th in Spokane, Washington.
This is a less formal, discussion posting. Not really cleaned up, since I have other deadlines looming where I need to focus my time. But I wanted to post it while thinking about it, before it gets buried by other projects. It is a slightly lengthy, not quite essay, regarding my concerns about the recommendations for "gamification" of instruction in the classroom, especially competitive versus cooperative. It is posted more as a forum discussion request. I look forward to everyone's comments. At the time of this posting I was taking an elective course in Teaching Youth & Teens with ADD / ADHD & Executive Function (EF) Deficits. Basically how to understand and provide appropriate adaptations when teaching this population group. Part of the course includes online discussions. I thought I would save for discussion outside of the classroom, my postings of related topics. I welcome feedback from others...
I just had a surprising dialog with some Avista (my local power company) workers regarding role-playing games...
RPGs are well known to spark interest in reading, and may promote overall reading advancement. That being said, how much does the reading comprehension required for RPGs impact this overall advancement? Using "Adult" RPG Systems with youth, rather than "bringing down" a system to "their level". This is one anecdotal example that I can share, since it is my own kids, but I have seen repeated many times in practice with others, over the years. But have not (yet) run a controlled study to validate or negate these observations. Your thoughts and experiences?
Tonight I begin play-testing the brand new Cryptomancer RPG by Chad Walker. It is a role-playing game specifically useful for teaching the basics of Information Security (InfoSec) to laymen (and professionals), in a fun way. It is first and foremost designed as a fun fantasy RPG setting (with the InfoSec twist), that just happens to teach basic InfoSec concepts and good (and bad) practices as a byproduct of participation.
HBO's VICE Media - At This Danish School, LARPing Is the Future of Education October 7, 2015, By Mike Pearl.
RPG Research and RPG Therapeutics LLC representatives are presenting at the upcoming 2018 Washington State Therapeutic Recreation Association (WSTRA) annual professional conference. The topic: "Role-Playing Game (RPG) Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (TRS) Game Master (GM) Step 1: How to Develop and Integrate Role-Playing Games as an Intervention Modality into Therapeutic Recreation Programs."
Inspired by the book Computational Fairy Tales, Chris Leach created a fantasy world for his ICT class to introduce them to computational thinking - Re-posted here for archival purposes, an interesting article on how an information and communication technologies instructor used fantasy settings, that could be tied into role-playing gaming to help explain mathematical and computer science based concepts in ways that might be more accessible to a wider audience....
Thanks to feedback from @Jmstar on Twitter, he pointed out a public school in Denmark teaching all subjects for what in the US we would consider sort of upper high school, or post high school between high school and college, teaching in depth educational subjects entirely using LARP techniques.
An essay providing examples of existing efforts, and potential possibilities for using role-playing games with children, youth, and adults for education and therapy.
Archived from the USA Today site in case it disappears - USA TODAY visits a class at Barnard College "Reacting to the Past" - Robert Deutsch and Jason Allen.
So far I have completed 3 different program plans specifically designed for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) toddlers, youth, & adults, and are likely applicable to the broader range of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD).
While not ready to release a comprehensive report, there are some numbers that are pretty straight forward and should be of interest to many. This is a self-report questionnaire on experiences and perceptions of gender bias in the gaming community and industry.
The schedule for the Pacific Northwest American Therapeutic Recreation Association conference has been confirmed. I will be presenting at the Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Oregon, on "The use of Role-Playing Games (RPG) as an Intervention Modality" on January 29th, 2016, from 2:20 pm to 3:50 pm.
Significant progress made today in the paperwork process for putting together the study on "Efficacy Assessment of Role-playing Games as an Instructional Technique within the Constraints of a University Academic Setting from the Neuropsychology Perspective"...
This was triggered by someone's question in a Facebook group, and I thought it worthwhile to repost here, in a more legible format, and more useful platform...
Here are notes from the January 22nd, 2018 interview broadcast at Wizards of the Coast's Dungeons & Dragons, "Dragon Talk" with Greg Tito and Shelly Mazzanoble, interviewing John Welker & Hawke Robinson of RPG Research, Spokane Area Gaming Alliance, & RPG Therapeutics LLC, about role-playing game education, therapy, and more. Currently a work in progress. I am working on it each day in small snippets of time while juggling everything else. I will let folks know when it is ready for sharing.
Yet another anecdotal example of RPG related stigma: I was getting a haircut yesterday at a chain in Spokane, Washington. The female stylist was about to speak, paused and then looked over at her co-worker, saying hesitantly "I love playing role-playing games like D&D"...
In response to someone at the Ph.D. level, who recently released a podcast and shockingly made the completely erroneous claims that there is not _any_ existing legtimate, peer-reviewed, research on tabletop RPG, RPGer traits, any correlative data on RPGers, any publications in respected journals, any studies from psychologists or psychiatrists, or any research on the effects of RPGs, I have whipped up this page in order to help. Working together and sharing will help float all boats. Pulling apart and isolating will continue to founder the ship.
If you can make it to the Spokane, Washington area June 23rd, 2018, come by for a full day of gaming fun! Also a great chance to check out the RPG Bus, RPG Trailer, RPG Research, RPG Therapeutics, and more!
We have updated our list of currently open opportunities at RPG Research. These include Game Masters, American Sign Language GM, RPG Facilitators, RPG Advocates, Player Archetype Specialists, Webmaster, Social Networker, Marketing, Real-time Artist for Twitch Show, Music / Drum-circle Facilitator, Volunteer Coordinator, Game Writer, Game Designer, Therapeutic Recreation Program Planner, Administrative Assistant, Broadcast / Streaming Technician, Close Captions & Transcript Writer, Project Manager, & Research Assistants. Apply today!
The visionary creator, Ben Dobyns is currently a guest of honor at Gen Con, and at last, The Fantasy Network is alive! Fellow role-playing gamers and creators of The Gamers, Journey Quest, Demon Hunters, Mythica, and more. Check it out! Join the experience!
Brooke joined RPG Research in April 2018. She is the organization's Volunteer Coordinator and Director of Fundraising & Marketing.
In a TED talk by Peter Doolittle, he talked about two memory constructs, multitasking and working memory, and in this particular talk focused on Working Memory. This is something where role-playing games may support his recommendations in trying to improve how important things are remembered...
The wheelchair accessible RPG Bus and RPG Trailer will be on the road for weeks, meeting with people, providing tours, example music and RPG sessions, presentations, and more. Anyone can request a stop location along the route. The current route will be updated daily as stop requests come in. Follow this page for the latest tour updates! Current schedule is September 17th through October 10th schedule subject to change daily). We are getting ready for our longest tour yet, across the Western United States.
Join us for the RPG Talk Show community live broadcast at 11:00 am Pacific time every 2nd Saturday of the month. We cover the latest community news related to use and research on the educational, professional, or therapeutic considerations of role-playing games in all formats.
