EDGE

Empowering Game Design Education

Course Content
Course Information
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Course Calendar
Schedule & Instructions
Department Standards
Learning Objectives and Success Criteria
Course Materials
Policy on Generative AI
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Unit 1 Introduction to Role-playing Games
This course explores foundational concepts and practices to consider when designing for transformative impacts. In addition to lectures, discussions, and journals, you will be designing a game.
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Unit 1 Overview: Introduction to Role-playing Games
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 1: Introduction to Role-playing Games
Instructions for Major Assignment 1: Transformative Nano-Game Design Document
Quiz 1: Role-playing Games
Unit 2: Introduction to Transformative Role-playing Game Design
In this unit, we will discuss three different types of contexts: transformative leisure, therapeutic, and educational role-playing games.
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Unit 2 Overview: Introduction to Transformative Role-playing Game Design
Reflection Journal 1: Transformative Game Design and You
Quiz 2: Transformative Game Design
Unit 3: Transformative Role-playing Game Design in Practice
In this unit, we will share our model of transformative role-playing games
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Unit 3 Overview: Transformative Role-plaaying Game Design in Practice
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 2: Setting Brainstorming
Quiz 3: Transformative Game Design in Practice
Unit 4: Character, Culture and Mechanics Design
In this unit, we will provide some techniques and additional considerations when adding these facets to your game.
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Unit 4 Overview: Character, Culture, and Mechanics Design
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 3: Character and Relations Design
Quiz 4: Character, Culture and Mechanic Design
Unit 5: Myth, Symbolism, Ritual and Magic
In this unit, we will discuss some of the factors that can make role-playing games such powerful and transformative experiences, including the use of mythic structures, symbolic images, and ritual activities within games and also in the act of play itself.
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Unit 5 Overview: Myth, Symbolism, Ritual, and Magic
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 4: Myth, Symbolism, Ritual, and Magic
Quiz 5: Myth, Symbolism, Ritual and Magic
Unit 6: Culture and Conflict in RPGs
In this unit, we deepen our understanding of culture, thinking about it as something surrounding games and also embedded within them.
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Unit 6 Overview: Culture and Conflict in RPGs
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 5: Culture and Conflict
Quiz 6: Culture and Conflict
Unit 7: Designing Safety Structures
In this unit, we will deepen into concepts related to safety design. Several issue that can arise with regard to psychological safety during games.
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Unit 7 Overview: Designing Safety Structures
Reflection Journal 2: Designing Safety Structures
Quiz 7: Designing Safety Structures
Unit 8: Game Technologies and RPGs
By its very name, analog role-playing emphasizes interactions between people unmediated by technology, but of course in reality, we often use technologies during play.
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Unit 8 Overview: Game Technologies and RPGs
Reflection Journal 3: Game Technologies and RPGs
Unit 9: Offering and Receiving Design Feedback
In this unit, you will be providing feedback on the scenarios of other students. Figuring out the best way to give feedback can be difficult.
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Unit 9 Overview: Offering and Receiving Design Feedback
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 5: Transformative Nano-game Design Document Feedback
Quiz 8: Inclusion and Sensitive Content
Unit 10: Transformative Game Design and You
In this unit, you will reflect upon the course as a whole.
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Unit 10 Overview: Transformative Game Design and You
Reflection Journal 4: Transformative Game Design and You
Major Assignment 1: Transformative Nano-Game Design Document
Transformative Role-Playing Game Design

Schedule & Instructions

Course Activities

All activities and homework assignments are listed in the Course Calendar in sequential order. 

All activities are compulsory unless marked as Optional. You will need to plan 20 hours a week for all activities, e.g., the equivalent of a 50% job, so please plan your schedule accordingly. We have done our best to weigh the time it will take to complete your homework each week, including the relative complexity of the materials. 

  • Submit all deliverables in the corresponding links in the Units under Course Content.
  • You must complete all requirements for assignments, including replies to your peers, for full credit. 
  • All assignments are due the end class on the day assigned, i.e. Mondays at 11:59pm in your time zone. When possible, please post the night before to make sure your peers have time to read your posts.
  • If your country has a holiday on a due date, complete your work on the next work day.
  • All discussion posts require replies to two peers, which should should be in Ask a Question, Answer a Question format, as described in the Unit instructions.
  • Plagiarism and the use of generative AI for writing tasks is not permitted in any courses in the Transformative Game Design Master’s and may result in disciplinary measures.

 

Rules for Absence & Compulsory Elements:

The course requires consistent engagement on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, especially in forum discussions. In order to pass this course, you must achieve a Pass or Pass with Distinction on the majority of your assignments (see below). Instructors have the right to require specific assignments be completed to pass the course, e.g., Major Assignments. If you need to be absent, please notify your instructor(s) over email immediately to help you create a plan for your success.

 

Assignments, Deadlines and Attempts:

Each Assignment in this course has a re-exam offered 45 days after the original due date. Re-exams requires that you apply to be made part of the assessment. Contact your instructor over email for approval to turn in any late work.

If you fall behind in Transformative Game Design courses, you are permitted to turn in work late, but you may incur a grade penalty.

 

Grading Criteria and Weighting:

For the grade Pass, students are required to achieve the grade Pass on the Major Assignment. Please review the assignment instructions and Grading Rubric for details. Students may revise each paper twice.

  • Students must also receive an overall average grade of Pass or Complete for all other assignments (Discussions, Journals, and Quizzes). In this course, an overall grade of Pass on these assignments is 70% the Assignments Weighted Total. 

For the grade Pass with Distinction, students are required to achieve the grade Pass with Distinction on the Major Assignment. Please review the assignment instructions and Grading Rubric for details. Students may revise each paper twice.

  • Students must also receive an overall average grade of Pass with Distinction or Complete for all other assignments (Discussions, Journals, and Quizzes). In this course, an overall grade of Pass with Distinction on these assignments is 85% in the Assignments Weighted Total. 

In exceptional circumstances, based on conduct within the online classroom or toward teachers, the instructor reserves the right to lower a student’s grade as the course is progressing. 

 

Supervision and Tutoring:

For help with course content, please email the instructor. For help with writing, please contact the online linked Language Workshop. Note you should contact the Language Workshop earlier rather than later to be able to get help during peak periods.

 

Expected Entry Skills:

You are expected to be able to read, write, and communicate in English. Knowledge of games and design will be helpful, but not necessary.

 

Feedback:

In this course, you will receive brief feedback on discussion posts and journals. You will receive feedback on your Major Assignments, which generally be a paragraph of comments in addition to how you were assessed in relation to each of the grading criteria based upon an attached rubric.

 

Technical Requirements:

You are expected to have a functional computer running either MacOS or Windows (not tablets), for the duration of the course. You must have reliable internet access throughout the week and enough bandwidth to watch videos and run the Zoom video conferencing software in a quiet location.

 

Rules for generative AI:

This course does not allow the use of generative AI in developing any written work, including essays, discussion posts, journals, and game design documents. For example, you may use the built-in non-generative AI features of Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or your browser for spelling/grammar check, but not built-in AI tools like Copilot.

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