Course Content
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.
0/5
Unit 3: Academia and Analog Role-playing Games
This section considers a specific role-playing community: that of scholars studying these games and practices.
0/4
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.
0/3
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.
0/3
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.
0/4
Cultivating Transformative Communities

Learning Objectives and Success Criteria

Learning Objectives

On successful completion of Cultivating Transformational Communities, the student should be able to:

  • Learning Objective 1: Knowledge of the Field: Discuss topics, themes, and theories related to building and managing communities featuring transformative analog role-playing games with an emphasis on safety and inclusion.
  • Learning Objective 2: Game Design, Safety Design and Playtesting: Design, experience, iterate, and critique role-playing games as well as safety, and analyze community building practices related to transformative analog role-playing games.
  • Learning Objective 3: Academic, Professional, and Reflective Writing: Compose written texts and other communication materials on game design, safety practices and community building related to transformative analog role-playing games in various formats for distinct audiences.

Please see below for specific Learning Objectives and Success Criteria for each type of assignment:

  • Discussion Boards Assignments: You are expected to participate in each discussion assignment, including your initial posts and posts to the required number of peers throughout the week in Ask a Question, Answer a Question format.
      • Learning Objective 1: Knowledge of the Field: Discuss topics, themes, and theories related to building and managing communities featuring transformative analog role-playing games with an emphasis on safety and inclusion.
      • Learning Objective 3: Academic, Professional, and Reflective Writing: Compose written texts and other communication materials on game design, safety practices and community building related to transformative analog role-playing games in various formats for distinct audiences.
    • Success Criteria: Complete your initial posts answering all questions thoroughly. Reply to at least three (3) posts of your peers throughout the week in Ask a Question, Answer a Question format.

 

  • Reflection Journal Assignments: You are also expected to complete Reflection Journals at the end of each Unit. Note that only your instructors and you can see your journals.
      • Learning Objective 1: Knowledge of the Field: Discuss topics, themes, and theories related to building and managing communities featuring transformative analog role-playing games with an emphasis on safety and inclusion.
      • Learning Objective 3: Academic, Professional, and Reflective Writing: Compose written texts and other communication materials on game design, safety practices and community building related to transformative analog role-playing games in various formats for distinct audiences.
    • Success Criteria: Complete your journals answering all questions thoroughly.

 

  • Major Assignment 1 — Autobiographical Game Design
      • Learning Objective 1: Knowledge of the Field: Discuss topics, themes, and theories related to building and managing communities featuring transformative analog role-playing games with an emphasis on safety and inclusion.
      • Learning Objective 2: Game Design, Safety Design and Playtesting: Design, experience, iterate, and critique role-playing games as well as safety, and analyze community building practices related to transformative analog role-playing games.
      • Learning Objective 3: Academic, Professional, and Reflective Writing: Compose written texts and other communication materials on game design, safety practices and community building related to transformative analog role-playing games in various formats for distinct audiences.
    • Success Criteria: Complete your Game Design Document and Playtest Plan in the required format.

 

  • Major Assignment 2 — Cultivating Transformational Communities: 
      • Learning Objective 1: Knowledge of the Field: Discuss topics, themes, and theories related to building and managing communities featuring transformative analog role-playing games with an emphasis on safety and inclusion.
      • Learning Objective 2: Game Design, Safety Design and Playtesting: Design, experience, iterate, and critique role-playing games as well as safety, and analyze community building practices related to transformative analog role-playing games.
      • Learning Objective 3: Academic, Professional, and Reflective Writing: Compose written texts and other communication materials on game design, safety practices and community building related to transformative analog role-playing games in various formats for distinct audiences.
    • Success Criteria: Complete your paper in the required format with each section. Include the minimum number of sources included and cited properly.

 

  • Peer Feedback — Cultivating Transformational Communities: You will read the first complete draft of Major Assignment 2 for each of your peers and respond to the required feedback questions to help them improve their work.  
      • Learning Objective 1: Knowledge of the Field: Discuss topics, themes, and theories related to building and managing communities featuring transformative analog role-playing games with an emphasis on safety and inclusion.
      • Learning Objective 3: Academic, Professional, and Reflective Writing: Compose written texts and other communication materials on game design, safety practices and community building related to transformative analog role-playing games in various formats for distinct audiences.
    • Success Criteria: Complete responses to each required question on the prompt in response to the drafts of each member of your group.