The RPG Classroom: Re-Purposing Game Mechanics for the Gamification of Education [chapter]

Crocco, Francisco. “The RPG Classroom: Re-Purposing Game Mechanics for the Gamification of Education.” In The Role-Playing Society: Essays on the Cultural Influence of RPGs, edited by Andrew Byers and Francisco Crocco, 278–302. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2016. 

In this chapter, the concepts of gamification and flow are explained through some major works in the field of education. The author details 7 core RPG mechanics that can be applied to learning:

• role-playing (situated learning : taking on the identities and behavior of professionals in context)
• narrative (from the global frame of a campaign to quests)
• quests (customizable and specific objectives to be achieved)
• collaboration (work and grow in a group)
• specialization (every one have different responsabilities and habilities)
• experience point (fluid currency of reward as incentives)
• level (and/or badges, allowing new powers, new challenges, new status)
• game master (a special player, organizing and regulating play)

Some examples of successful RPG gamifications are reported (in which one of the author). Most of the focus is about the scoring/rating mechanics. A shift of curricular paradigm is evoked, replacing the classical lectures & exams by questing & XP scoring.