Finding tools that stimulate creativity, empathy and self-confidence is one of the core challenges of the 21st century. Performative education being one of them, a need for developing convincing performative concepts arises (Jogschies, Schewe & Stöver-Blahak 2018). The improvisational role-playing technique edu-larp constitutes one such tool, combining the training of social and personal skills with the exploration of various themes. An adaptation of this format to institutional settings coined STARS (STudent Activating Role-playing gameS, Geneuss 2019) has been applied in several schools in Bavaria. To ascertain the students’ perspective on their perceived learning, data from 161 quantitative surveys were further augmented by feedback-talks. To gain insight into the teachers’ perspective on how the tool can be implemented in German lessons, which general skills can be trained and what challenges might arise when applied in formal education, we applied a qualitative design grounded upon 7 interviews. It emerges that applying edu-larp in classrooms is perceived as a meaningful tool to treat curricular topics. It also contributes to train social and personal skills, which in turn can lead to self-confident face-to-face interaction. Yet, multiple challenges keep educators from applying the technique.

ZusammenfassungDieser Artikel gibt einen Überblick über die dramadidaktische Lernform STARs (Student Activating Roleplaying Games). Mithilfe des konkreten Beispiels „Weltraumrundreise“ soll aufgezeigt werden, wie ein 90-minütiges Rollenspiel im Unterricht zur Förderung der Language Awareness und der Wahrnehmung der Sprachenvielfalt eingesetzt werden kann.

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Live action role-playing games (larps) are an effective, yet uncommon learning tool in schools. For broader implementation, the design of the game has to serve curricular and pedagogical needs alike. This paper presents core principles of design and implementation of educational live action role-playing games in curricular primary and secondary education. Over the course of 5 years, 16 live action role-playing games with a total of 53 cycles of Design-based Research (DBR) including design, testing, and evaluation were conducted in German schools. This paper synthesizes 17 essential principles from the DBR cycles as best practice in the context of subject-bound curricular focus. The results of our study show that four parameters differ in schools from extracurricular live action role-playing activities: curricular guidelines, compulsory participation, grading practices, and time/space confinements. These four parameters need to be taken into consideration at all times when designing and conducting a live action role-playing game in a school environment. Moreover, design for simplicity and inclusion is paramount for successful implementation within subject-teaching in schools as a rewarding tool to foster content-knowledge and to promote social and personal skills.

IJRP 11: Full Issue Table of Contents Evan Torner, Sarah Lynne Bowman, and William J. White, “Editorial Introduction to Issue 11” Some context for the current issue, especially with regard to current critiques of themes of violence and oppression in games, as well as this year’s Call for Papers on Applied Role-playing Games and the excellent articles submitted in response. Sarah Albom, “The Killing Roll: The Prevalence of Violence in Dungeons & Dragons” A textual analysis evaluating the language used in the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Player’s Handbook. This article discusses the ways that the text incentivizes characters to take violent actions more often than offering peaceful solutions. Diana J. Leonard, Jovo Janjetovic, Maximilian Usman, “Playing to Experience Marginalization: Benefits and Drawbacks of ‘Dark Tourism’ in Larp” An examination of how playing characters with marginalizations the player does not share can lead to perspective taking and empathy, but can also cause harm if not done with care. Joe Lasley, “Fantasy In Real Life: Making Meaning from Vicarious Experiences with a Tabletop RPG Internet Stream” A qualitative study examining seven fans of the livestream show Critical Role, in which actors play Dungeons & Dragons. The fans described an increase in their well-being due to parasocial relationships with the fiction and players in the show. Kerttu Lehto, “Role-Playing Games and Well-Being” A secondary literature review discussing the main themes in role-playing game studies, as well as arts and well-being as fields of study. This author advocates for more dialogue between these fields as a fruitful line of inquiry, especially with regard to the design of games for personal development and well-being. Josephine Baird, “Role-playing the Self – Trans Self-Expression, Exploration, and Embodiment in Live Action Role-Playing Games” An autoethnography blending gender theory with personal experience exploring gender in role-playing games and other performance spaces. The author considers how best to design larps explicitly to help trans people embody their identities. Katrin Geneuss, “The Use of the Role-playing Technique STARS in Formal Didactic Contexts” A summary of Design-based Research on 16 educational live action role-playing games (edu-larps) created for German schools. This article offers several best practices for educators who seek to implement edu-larp in the classroom.