Winning Through Deception: A Pedagogical Case Study on Using Social Deception Games to Teach Small Group Communication Theory

Abstract

It is night. The moon is full. Everyone, close your eyes. Werewolves, open your eyes. Werewolves, choose a victim." This line from the moderator's script is the first voice that players hear when they play "Are You a Werewolf?" ("AYAW?"), one of the many games that fit into the category of "social deception" games. The purpose of this work is to look at how social deception games could aid instruction in communication studies classes. Specifically, this article will address how social deception games can help reinforce learning concepts taught in a section of small group communication and how instructors can assess whether the students are meeting learning objectives when ludological elements enhance the pedagogical toolbox of a professor. This point is important to discuss as the role of gaming in higher education has received some substantial research over the past decade (Vlachopoulos & Makri, 2017); the role of gaming and simulation in the communication classroom has been missing from the overall conversation. One of the reasons that the study of games (ludology) in education and pedagogy has faced resistance in the past could be attributed to the perceived nonserious nature of gaming. Individually, teachers could view games in a classroom setting as nothing more than a timewaster to fill hours of dead space in a syllabus, a lazy way to review facts before an examination, or something that has no place in an educational setting because they are seen as disconnected with course objectives, benchmarks, standards, or assessments of program (Verzat, Byrne, & Fayolle, 2009). Within the past few years, scholars have applied qualitative and quantitative modes of research to evaluate the value of gameplay in the classroom. An important epistemological and pedagogical thread that has emerged among the ludological scholarship over the past 5 years (i.e., Blumberg,

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“…Other notable uses of gaming content instruction were the project of Tilton (2019) and the Reacting to the Past curriculum (Watson & Hagood 2018). Tilton (2019) studied the use of two social deception games, Are You a Werewolf? and The Resistance, in several sections of a composition and communication course.…”

Tertiary Learning Usage of Tabletop Roleplaying Games: Affordances and challenges

“…Other notable uses of gaming content instruction were the project of Tilton (2019) and the Reacting to the Past curriculum (Watson & Hagood 2018). Tilton (2019) studied the use of two social deception games, Are You a Werewolf? and The Resistance, in several sections of a composition and communication course.…”

Strava: participatory culture and community engagement of rocc members

“…Interpretation of communication that occurs between individuals, is also able to create a more impactful communication effect within the group. Beebe and Masterson (2006) stated that small group communication is any form of interaction that takes place between 3 and 20 people who are working together to achieve an interdependent goal (Tilton, 2019). Tilton (2019) mentioned that small group communication is more than the formation and maintenance of relationships or the mission of the collective whole Communication within the community also provides an equal opportunity for each member to create value that impacts each member.…”

“…Beebe and Masterson (2006) stated that small group communication is any form of interaction that takes place between 3 and 20 people who are working together to achieve an interdependent goal (Tilton, 2019). Tilton (2019) mentioned that small group communication is more than the formation and maintenance of relationships or the mission of the collective whole Communication within the community also provides an equal opportunity for each member to create value that impacts each member. Each member in the community also forms a sense of interdependence and need for one another.…”