Education and Analog Role-Playing Games: Theory and Pedagogy brings together scholars and educators who explore the educational potential of analog role-playing games (tabletop role-playing games and live action role-play) through the lens of pedagogical theory. These games trace their roots to educational war games and teaching aids. This volume goes further and takes a deeper dive into why they are such effective tools for learning, imagination, and identity development. This volume offers a multidisciplinary analysis that draws on philosophy, history, psychology, and critical pedagogy. Contributors examine how analog role-playing games intersect with educational theories such as constructivism, pragmatism, and experiential learning and explore classroom and nontraditional learning contexts. The rich insights position analog role-playing games as rich sites for identity exploration, deliberation, and transformative practice. Rather than simply advocating for gamification or offering how-to guides, this book critically interrogates how these games work, what they offer learners, and what pedagogical challenges they help us address. It is a valuable resource for educators, game scholars, and instructional designers interested in leveraging narrative, collaboration, and play for powerful learning experiences.

Autorentext

Susan Haarman, Ph.D., is Associate Director at Loyola University Chicago's Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship. She facilitates the university's service-learning program and publishes on community-based learning. Her real love is her research on the capacity of tabletop role-playing games as formative tools for civic identity and imagination. She serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Role-Playing and is also a professional improviser and a licensed therapist.