Fin de siecle
At the University of Outside Tokyo my English repeaters have just finished their first RPG. It has, at times, been immensely frustrating due to my own idealism. Surely everyone would love to attend an English course for university if it were structured as a Role-Playing Game! It does not quite work like that, and despite a large improvement in attendance, it appears that I am likely to have students who fail due to lack of work through non-attendance.
I am assessing the course based on participation and quality interaction in the lessons, as well as through a reflective portfolio where students analyse the problems in their roleplays and identify root causes and potential solutions.
However, those that came showed great positivity despite not feeling fond of communicating using English. This is my reward, after dreaming up scenarios, some richer than others, for my students to roleplay through and cast D20s upon.
I am assessing the course based on participation and quality interaction in the lessons, as well as through a reflective portfolio where students analyse the problems in their roleplays and identify root causes and potential solutions. This is done by using recordings to assist in recall. It is essentially cribbed and adapted from James York’s Kotoba Rollers framework. Mostly the portfolios are OK with flashes of brilliant insight. The last class today as used as a portfolio workshop for my students to complete their portfolios. As they worked, the appearance and reappearance of eureka expressions on their faces were my reward. And it is these eureka moments that I hope the students remember, rather than brightly-colored, odd-shaped dice.
Read Here be (Dungeons and) Dragons previous ‘chapters’: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
This whole series has been great inspiration to me. I teach a course of “English as a foreign language” at a uni Bc programme. The students are mixed levels and I only see them 5times a semester, for two semesters. My course has always been quite successful as I like to make it very practical and include a lot of writing, but RPG might give it a bit of a boost. I don’t do D&D but I guess that isn’t necessary. What would you say was the key thing? Student portfolios? The recordings? The NA will be up to my own judgement, typical. Thanks!
BTW, I’ve always shared your posts on Twitter, does that need to change now? (Sorry if my question is a little autistic, you know me) Thanks, hope you’re great, Marc.
Cheers, Kamila
Hi Kamila! If you want to share my posts on Twitter or anywhere, feel free!
As for the most valuable part of this, I’m going to say the recording and analysis was the most important and it need not be gamified.
Thanks for all your support and making me feel like I’m not doing weird stuff!
Hey Marc,
Did i see right – you’re off the twitter lark? Sorry to hear it mate. Liked your feed.
Hope all is well.
Stephen
It is indeed true. On the upside, I will be keeping the blog on and without argy bargy on Twitter I should have more energy to do meaningful stuff.
I’ll still be hanging about the fringes. Cheers Stephen.