Seekers Unlimited's $8,000 Kickstarter is raising funds to update their classroom live-action role-playing games to adhere to the new Common Core State Standards. The group is a 501(c)3 charity whose games already comply with California Science Scholastic Standards for the 8th grade, but they need funds to bring the games up to date. Their LARPs don't require computers and involve a lot of running around and active learning and their board includes the headmaster of a Danish school where all the curriculum is LARP-based. A $25 contribution gets you a PDF of one of their games.
An edu-larp is an educational game of play pretend. Students (and teachers) pretend to be someone else for the duration of the class, learning by walking in that person's shoes. Through research and a hands-on approach, they get a full experience of learning beyond just reading a book or hearing a lecture. What's more fun: reading about Benjamin Franklin, or BEING Benjamin Franklin for a day?
EDU-LARPS ARE NOT VIDEO GAMES
Seekers Unlimited believes that although there are amazing technological advances, not all schools or all students have access to the latest computers and upgrades, and it might be years before they do. Our games just require imagination.
With edu-larps, the teacher retains the ability to throttle the material to an easier or more difficult level and to differentiate each part to their specific class. Edu-larp is a pedagogy flexible enough to challenge without being overwhelming, supportive without coddling. They are limited only by human creativity, not by file size, bandwidth, or pre-programmed choices. Educational live action role playing engages students to teach themselves and each other, learn from and even teach the instructor, all while actively interacting with human beings instead of passively trying to absorb material from workbooks, packets, or lecture videos.
Creating Educational Live Action Role Playing Games
(Thanks, Aaron!)
