EDGE

Empowering Game Design Education

Course Content
Course Information
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Orientation & Instructions
Course Calendar
Course Material
Assessments & Deliverables
Learning Objectives and Success Criteria
Unit 1: Cultivating Transformational Communities
This course explores foundational concepts and practices to consider when community building around analog role-playing games for transformative impacts.
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Overview: Cultivating Transformational Communities
Discussion Forum Instructions
Sign up for Your Playtest and Feedback Group
Discussion 1: Community Building and Transformational Containers
Discussion 2: Leveling Up Role-playing Communities
Reflection Journal 1: Safety, Autobiographical Games, and You
Unit 2: Emotional Safety in Role-playing Games
We have touched upon many of the concepts in this Unit before, but we will focus less on game design and more around the community built around the game in terms of emotional safety.
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Overview: Emotional Safety in Role-playing Communities
Discussion Forum Instructions
Playtest 1: Crisis Management Scenarios
Discussion 3: Cultures of Hardcore, Consent, and Safety
Instructions for Major Assignment 1: Autobiographical Game Design Document
Discussion 4: Emotional Intensity and Role-playing Games
Unit 3: Academia and Analog Role-playing Games
This section considers a specific role-playing community: that of scholars studying these games and practices.
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Overview: Academia and Analog Role-playing Games
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 5: Analog Role-playing Game Studies
Discussion A: Introduce Yourself and Connect! (ROCKET)
Discussion B: Positions, Interests, Feelings, and Needs (ROCKET)
Unit 4: Group Dynamics and RPG Communities
We are broadening our scope now from role-playing games in academia to thinking about groups surrounding role-playing as a whole.
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Overview: Group Dynamics and RPG Communities
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 6: Group Work, Listening, and Feedback
Discussion C: Worldview, Cognitive Dissonance, and Perception Checking (ROCKET)
Submission of Major Assignment 1: Autobiographical Game Design Document
Instructions for Major Assignment 2: Cultivating Transformational Communities
Schedule Playtest 2: Autobiographical Games
Unit 5: Conflict and RPG Communities
Our approach when discussing conflict will be to examine how games can address and sometimes even improve conflict situations.
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Overview: Conflict and RPG Communities
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 7: Activism and Democratic Participation
Reflection Journal 2: Community Toxicity, Dysfunction, and You
Discussion D: Conflict Styles (ROCKET)
Playtest 2: Autobiographical Games
Schedule Playtest 3: Autobiographical Games
Unit 6: Sociology and Role-playing Games
In alignment with this course’s focus on communities, we will shift gears to consider role-playing through a sociological lens.
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Overview: Sociology and Role-playing Games
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 8: Sociology, Status, and Appearance
Discussion 9: Race/Ethnicity and Gender/Sexuality
Playtest 3: Autobiographical Games
Submission of First Draft of Major Assignment 2: Cultivating Transformational Communities
Peer Review Instructions for Major Assignment 2
Unit 7: Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
In this unit, we will be explicitly focusing on the impacts of these topics on communities as a whole beyond the context of specific game designs or play experiences.
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Overview: Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 10: Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
Reflection Journal 3: Cultural Consulting and You
Unit 8: Safer Community Container Setting
In this unit, we will speak more explicitly about the sorts of issues that can arise in communities and ways to make them feel safer.
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Overview: Safer Community Container Setting
Discussion 11: Safety Teams, Anti-Harassment Movements, and Organizer Safety
Reflection Journal 4: Codes of Conduct, Encouraged Behavior, and Internal Procedures
Reflection Journal 5: Safer Community Container Setting and You
Submit Peer Reviews for Major Assignment 2
Unit 9: RPG Communities Around the World
We have discussed styles and cultures of play before and examined various traditions. We will expand that work in this unit.
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Overview: RPG Communities Around the World
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 12: RPG Communities Around the World
Discussion 13: Backstory Bonus Round
Unit 10: Transformational Communities and You
In this Unit, you will submit your final draft of Major Assignment 2, as well as reflect upon your experiences.
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Overview: Transformational Communities and You
Discussion Forum Instructions
Reflection Journal 6: Transformational Communities and You
Submission of Final Draft of Major Assignment 2: Cultivating Transformational Communities
Cultivating Transformational Communities

Overview: Group Dynamics and RPG Communities

Welcome to Unit 4 on Group Dynamics and Role-playing Communities! We are broadening our scope now from role-playing games in academia to thinking about groups surrounding role-playing as a whole. While, as we have seen, each gaming community has its own values and practices, they also often follow typical group dynamic patterns. In this Unit, Elektra and Sarah will be discussing these group patterns, as well as some strategies for working with groups in terms of setting the group container and giving feedback. We will be looking at theories from sociology, counseling, leadership, and other areas to inform this work. As we move through this material, consider how these broader theories resonate – or fail to resonate – with your own experiences in communities, whether role-playing related or otherwise.

In terms of conflict transformation, we will be exploring the roles of worldview, cognitive dissonance, and perception checking in conflict. Furthermore, we will briefly cover nonviolent communication and practice a version of the script, “I” statements.

This week, we will cover:

  • Tuckman and Wheelan’s models of the life cycle of groups
  • Counselling theories on group work, listening, and feedback
  • Features of specific role-playing groups:
    • American larp communities
    • Online streaming fan communities, e.g. Critical Roles
    • Online role-playing magazines, e.g. Nordiclarp.org
    • The Nordic larp community surrounding Knutepunkt/Solmukohta
  • Worldview, cognitive dissonance, and perception checking
  • Nonviolent communication and “I” statements

Click here to access the ROCKET Studium page.

Required materials:

Group Patterns:

Videos:
  • Bowman, Sarah Lynne. 2020. “Worldview, Cognitive Dissonance, and Perception Checking.” Center for Peace & Conflict Studies. Austin Community College, Panopto.
  • Diakolambrianou, Elektra, and Sarah Lynne Bowman. 2023. “Groups: Processes, Dynamics, Facilitation, and Creativity.” Transformative Play Initiative. YouTube.
Readings:
  • Leonard, Diana J., and Grayson Arango. 2013. “The Dynamic Life Cycle of Live Action Role-play Communities.” In The Wyrd Con Companion Book 2013, edited by Sarah Lynne Bowman and Aaron Vanek, 125-136. Los Angeles, CA: Wyrd Con.

ROCKET:

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