Course Calendar
Transformative Game Design 2: Course Schedule
- All class sessions are compulsory and take place asynchronously on M W and F, with the exception of video meetings with your peers, which can take place at your convenience. If you are having trouble with scheduling sessions, please message us. All games must be playtested and feedback must be gathered 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.
- Tasks in bold font are deliverables that will be graded either on a 0-2 point basis (Discussion Posts) or Complete/Incomplete basis (Journals and Written Assignments).
- Most tasks in bold font are deliverables that will be graded along the following scale:
- Pass with Distinction (PwD – 100% – 75%)
- Pass (Pass – 74% – 50%)
- Fall (49% – 0%)
- Most tasks in bold font are deliverables that will be graded along the following scale:
- We have done our best to weight the time it will take to complete your homework each week, including the relative complexity of the materials. Some days you will have more videos, whereas others you will have more readings.
- You must complete all discussion posts, including replies to your peers, for full credit.
Week 1 – Unit 1
Monday
Introducing Yourself and Choosing Playtest Groups
Activities:
- Choose a playtest group based on times available under groups. You can choose the same group as last time or join a different one. Please organize in groups of 4.
- Post an introduction to your small group.
- Organize a playtest session with your group.
- Complete Orientation Quiz by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Watch the first 39 minutes of Sarah Lynne Bowman’s “Transformative Role-playing Games: Implementation Basics.”
- Choose one (1) video to watch from the Art of the Table list under the Overview for Unit 1.
Wednesday
Tabletop Role-playing Games — Implementation Basics
Activities:
- Complete Discussion 1: Tabletop Role-playing Games — Implementation Basics by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Watch the last 39 minutes Sarah Lynne Bowman’s “Transformative Role-playing Games: Implementation Basics.”
- Read three (3) articles from the Recommended Readings list in the Overview for Unit 1.
Friday
Live Action Role-playing Games (Larp) — Implementation Basics
Activities:
- Complete Discussion 2: Live Action Role-playing Games — Implementation Basics by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Read Markus Montola’s “Role-playing as Interactive Construction of Subjective Diegeses” and Hilda Levin’s “Metareflection.”
- Browse the scenarios provided in the Overview.
- Choose three (3) scenarios you are interested in facilitating for your group, ranking them in order of your preference.
- Meet for Playtest: Session 0 and establish which games each group member will run in the future (with no duplicates). Use the Consent in Gaming Worksheet for each game to establish boundaries and calibration for play.
Week 2 – Units 1 & 2
Monday – Units 1 & 2
Role-playing Game Implementation and You
Activities:
- Complete Reflection Journal 1: Role-playing Game Implementation and You by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Read Leïla Teteau-Surel’s “10 Steps for Integrating Transformative Experiences.”
Wednesday – Unit 2
Implementation Practice: Session 0
Activities:
- Complete Playtest 1: Session 0 by 11:59pm in your time zone.
- Plan Playtest 2: Implementation of a Game for Transformative Impacts, which should be completed by February 10.
Homework:
- Read Simo Järvelä’s “How Real Is Larp?”
- Read one (1) article from the Recommended Readings under each of the following categories for a total of two (2) articles: Bleed and Post-game Emotional Reactions.
Friday – Unit 2
Implementing Transformative Leisure Role-playing Games
Activities:
- Complete Discussion 3: Implementing Transformative Leisure Role-playing Games by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Read Lauri Lukka’s “The Psychology of Immersion.”
- Watch the “Bleed Management, De-roling, and Debriefing” roundtable from Living Games Conference 2018.
Week 3 – Units 2, 3 & 4
Monday – Units 2 & 3
Implementing Transformative Leisure Role-playing Games and You
Activities:
- Complete Reflection Journal 2: Implementing Transformative Leisure Role-playing Games and You by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Watch Elizabeth D. Kilmer et al.’s “Roll for Healing: Therapeutic Game Master Round Table.”
Wednesday – Unit 3
Implementing Therapeutic Role-playing Games
Activities:
- Complete Discussion 4: Implementing Therapeutic Role-playing Games by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Choose one (1) article from the Recommended readings from each of the following categories for a total of two (2) articles: Effects Studies and Deroling.
Friday – Units 3 & 4
Implementing Therapeutic Role-playing Games and You
Activities:
- Complete Reflection Journal 3: Implementing Therapeutic Role-playing Games and You by 11:59pm in your time zones.
- Read Instructions for Major Assignment 1: Scaling Game Design Document and Implementation Plan.
Homework:
- Watch Josefin Westborg’s “Assessment.”
- Read the selection from Nicola Whitton on Assessment.
- Choose two (2) articles from two (2) different content creators from two (2) separate categories under Recommended Reading: Youth Work; Primary and Secondary Schools; Higher Education; Business; Military; or Activism and Politics.
- Work on Major Assignment 1: Scaling Game Design Document and Implementation Plan.
Week 4 – Units 4 & 5
Monday – Unit 4
Implementing Educational Role-playing Games
Activities:
- Complete Discussion 5: Implementing Educational Role-playing Games by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Watch Josefin Westborg’s “Implementation for Education.”
- Read Katrin Geneuss’ “The Use of the Role-playing Technique STARS in Formal Didactic Contexts.”
- Work on Major Assignment 1: Scaling Game Design Document and Implementation Plan.
Wednesday – Units 4 & 5
Implementing Educational Role-playing Games and You
Activities:
- Complete Reflection Journal 4: Implementing Educational Role-playing Games and You by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Work on Major Assignment 1: Scaling Game Design Document and Implementation Plan.
- Prepare your facilitation for Playtest 2 if applicable.
Friday – Unit 5
Implementation and Play Experience
Activities:
- Complete Playtest 2: Implementation of a Game for Transformative Impacts.
- Plan Playtest 3: Implementation of a Game for Transformative Impacts.
Homework:
- Watch the first 50 minutes Sarah Lynne Bowman’s “Researching Analog Role-playing Games: Difficulties and Approaches.”
- Read Annika Waern’s “How to Gather Feedback from Players.”
- Then, choose one (1) article from the following two (2) categories under Recommended Materials for a total of two (2) articles: Research Approaches and Documentation.
- Optional: Watch the Q&A (0:50-1:19) from Sarah Lynne Bowman’s “Researching Analog Role-playing Games: Difficulties and Approaches.”
- Work on Major Assignment 1: Scaling Game Design Document and Implementation Plan.
Week 5 – Units 5 & 6
Monday – Unit 5
Researching During Implementation and Play
Activities:
- Complete by Discussion 6: Researching During Implementation and Play by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Watch Josefin Westborg’s video on “Game Design — Implementation.”
- Choose two (2) articles from the Implementation Design category.
- Read Mike Pohjola’s “Dragonbane Memories.”
- Work on Major Assignment 1: Scaling Game Design Document and Implementation Plan.
Content Advisory on “Dragonbane Memories”: Statutory rape, sexual abuse, organizer negligence, manipulation. If you need an alternative assignment, please let the instructors know.
Wednesday – Unit 5
Implementation Specifics
Activities:
- Complete Discussion 7: Implementation Specifics by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Work on Major Assignment 1: Scaling Game Design Document and Implementation Plan.
Friday – Units 5 & 6
Scaling Transformative Game Design
Activities:
- Submit Submission of Major Assignment 1: Scaling Game Design Document and Implementation Plan by 11:59pm in your time zone.
- Read Instructions for Major Assignment 2: Implementing Transformative Game Design.
Homework:
- Prepare your facilitation for Playtest 3 if applicable.
- Work on Major Assignment 2: Implementing Transformative Game Design.
- Make an appointment at the Language Workshop if you need extra assistance with your writing.
Week 6 – Units 6 & 7
Monday – Unit 6
More Implementation and Play Experience
Activities:
- Complete Playtest 3: Implementing a Game for Transformative Impacts.
Homework:
- Review Sarah Lynne Bowman’s “Immersion and Shared Imagination in Role-Playing Games.”
- Work on Major Assignment 2: Implementing Transformative Game Design.
Wednesday – Unit 6
Implementation Team Feedback Brainstorm
Activities:
- Complete Discussion 8: Implementation Team Feedback Brainstorm by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Read two (2) articles from the Motivation section of the Recommended Materials.
- Work on Major Assignment 2: Implementing Transformative Game Design.
Friday – Units 6 & 7
Player Immersion and Motivation
Activities:
- Submit Discussion 9: Player Immersion and Motivation by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Choose two (2) items to read or watch under the Identity, Players, and Characters section of the Recommended Materials.
- Read Josefin Westborg and Carl Nordblom’s “Do You Want to Play Ball? How to Be a Good Team Player (in a Single-Team Player vs. Player Game)” in Unit 7.
- Work on Major Assignment 2: Implementing Transformative Game Design.
Week 7 – Units 6, 7 & 8
Monday – Units 6 & 7
Relationship to Character and You
Activities:
- Complete Reflection Journal 5: Relationship to Character and You by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Read Markus Montola, Jaakko Stenros, and Eleanor Saitta’s “The Art of Steering: Bringing the Player and the Character Back Together.”
- Choose one (1) item to examine from each of the following categories from the Recommended Materials for a total of two (2) items: Play as Labor and Steering for Growth.
- Review the description of liberatory steering from Jonaya Kemper’s “Wyrding the Self.”
- Work on Major Assignment 2: Implementing Transformative Game Design.
Wednesday – Unit 7
Player Skills
Activities:
- Complete Discussion 10: Player Skills by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Work on Major Assignment 2: Implementing Transformative Game Design.
- Make an appointment at the Language Workshop if you need extra assistance with your writing.
Friday – Units 7 & 8
Writing Session
Activities:
- Complete your appointment at the Language Workshop if you need extra assistance with your writing.
Homework:
- Read Susanne Vejdemo’s “Play to Lift, Not Just to Lose” in Unit 8.
- Work on Major Assignment 2: Implementing Transformative Game Design.
Week 8 – Units 7, 8 & 9
Monday – Units 7 & 8
Implementing Transformative Game Design
Activities:
- Submit First Complete Draft of Major Assignment 2: Implementing Transformative Game Design by 11:59pm in your time zone.
- Read Peer Review Instructions for Major Assignment 2.
- Send First Complete Draft of Major Assignment 2: Implementing Transformative Game Design to your peers in your group by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Read Josephine Baird, Sarah Lynne Bowman, and Kjell Hedgard Hugaas’ “Liminal Intimacy: Role-playing Games as Catalysts for Interpersonal Growth and Relating.”
- Choose one (1) item to examine under the Role-playing and Relationships section of the Recommended Materials.
- Work on Peer Reviews for Major Assignment 2, sending your feedback as soon as its ready.
- Revise Major Assignment 2 based on peer and instructor feedback when available.
Wednesday – Unit 8
Interpersonal Relationship Dynamics, Play, and You
Activities:
- Complete Reflection Journal 6: Interpersonal Relationship Dynamics, Play, and You by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Choose three (3) items to examine from three (3) different content creators about three (3) different games from the Recommended Materials for Unit 8.
- Work on Peer Reviews for Major Assignment 2, sending your feedback as soon as its ready.
- Revise Major Assignment 2 based on peer and instructor feedback when available.
Friday – Units 8 & 9
Learning from Play Experiences
Activities:
- Complete Discussion 11: Learning from Play Experiences by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Work on Peer Reviews for Major Assignment 2, sending your feedback as soon as its ready.
- Revise Major Assignment 2 based on peer and instructor feedback.
Week 9 – Unit 9
Monday
Play Documentation and You
Activities:
- Complete Reflection Journal 7: Play Documentation and You by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Work on Peer Reviews for Major Assignment 2, sending your feedback as soon as its ready.
- Revise Major Assignment 2 based on peer and instructor feedback.
Wednesday
Peer Reviews
Activities:
- Send all Peer Reviews: Major Assignment 2 to your peers if you have not already.
Homework:
- Choose one (1) item to examine from the each of the following categories from the Recommended Materials list for a total of three (3) items: Conflict Resolution/Transformation; Gender and Sexuality; and Power and Oppression.
- Revise Major Assignment 2 based on peer and instructor feedback.
Friday
Conflict and Implementation
Activities:
- Complete Discussion 12: Conflict and Implementation by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Choose one (1) item to examine from the each of the following categories from the Recommended Materials list for a total of three (3) items: Accessibility; Class and Capitalism; and Law.
- Revise Major Assignment 2 based on peer and instructor feedback.
Week 10 – Units 9 & 10
Monday – Units 9 & 10
Implementation, Conflict, and You
Activities:
- Complete Reflection Journal 8: Implementation, Conflict, and You by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Homework:
- Revise Major Assignment 2 based on peer and instructor feedback.
Wednesday – Unit 10
Implementing Transformative Game Design and You
Activities:
- Complete Reflection Journal 9: Implementing Transformative Game Design and You by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Friday – Unit 10
Implementing Transformative Game Design
Activities:
- Submit Major Assignment 2: Implementing Transformative Game Design by 11:59pm in your time zone.
Course schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor(s). Please note that schedule changes may occur during the semester.