#21: Learning Curves

[RPGnet Columns]

http://www.rpg.net/columns/talesfrom...thouse21.phtml

Summary:

Can educational content fit in RPGs?

Go to the column for more information.

[smascrns]

Weird column considering that roleplaying started as an educational tool. True it was not a game, but...

And that's the point: As an educational tool roleplaying has to be entertaining but it has to de-emphasize the gaming aspect.

Still, roleplaying is hard to use for educational purposes, that's why it is not widely employed in that context.

[atonal chaotic]

Education requires interest. D&D was probably a valuable learning tool to many because it sparked their interest in various things and they'd learn them for the game. Of course it in some cases proves detrimental to that end by providing incorrect answers to those questions.

[L.J.Steele]

Much depends on what you are trying to teach.

Many dice-based RPGs can teach probability. Many games require resource management and trade-offs in designing characters or equipment.

A well-designed game can teach history, economics, science, etc., if these parts are important to the character's success or if the material sparks an interest in the underlying material. How many folks have become interested in the 1920s-30s due to CoC or into actual medieval history from variations of D&D. GURPS has had a plethora of sourcebooks set in actual times and places -- designing adventures generally requires the GM to do some thinking and reading about the place beyond the source book.

The problem here is well-designed, or at least well-written, but that's a problem across the field, not one specific to educational games.