Work

Reflections and Facilitator Best Practices from a Collaborative Educational Live Action Roleplay Camp

Year: 2025

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: This paper examines the importance of facilitation in youth constructionist learning environments, presenting best practices developed through an educational live-action roleplay (edu-larp) curriculum for middle school-aged youth. Drawing on four pilot deployments, we identify strategies for training facilitators in improvisation, role-play, and technical troubleshooting to ensure alignment with constructionist values. We detail how these practices were scaled and supported through the development of training materials and resources for a camp-in-a-box adaptation. Key findings highlight the need for active engagement in role-play during training, the value of adaptable resources, and the effectiveness of narrative framing in motivating STEM engagement. This work contributes to understanding how facilitation practices can enhance informal learning experiences and provides insights into scaling such practices effectively.

Source: Constructionism Conference Proceedings

DOI: 10.21240/constr/2025/46.x

Authors: James Fey, Raquel Breejon Robinson, Shannon Campe, Katherine Isbister

Institutions: University of California, Santa Cruz, IT University of Copenhagen

Language: English

Topic: Innovative Teaching Methodologies in Social Sciences

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: National Science Foundation