Educational Benefits of RPGs

[Kae'Yoss]

D&D introduced me to my true love: Satanism!

Thanks, Jack Chick!

Black Leaf, er no wait, Einan

I wanted to say the same: D&D offers you hands-on experience into the occult, into witchcraft, sorcery, demon summoning. At least, that's what all those people keep complaining (I went through the core rulebooks 666 times and haven't found any really useful information on that matter. Even the Harry Potter movies were more instructive)




Seriously, though: I'll have to say that without D&D, my English would probably only be half as good as it is now. Maybe not even half as good.

 

[werk]

Vocabulary
Math
Problem solving/logic (including finding ways to solve problems with "outside of the box" thinking)
It can also be an excellent team-building exercise.

I think I agree with these the most. RPGs and D&D in particular is usually a 'whole brain' exercise...which really can only be a good thing. Analytical, logical, conceptual, social, verbal...what else is there?

I'll also add that I think roleplaying in general adds to your ability to empathize, which aids communication and long-term growth and wellness.

 

[Rothe]

...
I'm writing a thesis paper on the educational & developmental benefits of RPGs. For this paper, I'll focus primarily on "table-top" games, with a short mention of LARP's, computer versions, and board games for diversity. The major points that I've come up with so far are: reading comprehension & vocabulary; math & physics; creative thinking & problem solving; and social skills development. Please feel free to expand on any of these points and/or add your own!
...

Just as information reference, I started in 1975-76 with war games and was full swing into RPGs by 1977-78.

reading comprehension & vocabulary
I'd have to say that the detailed and highly structured rules of Squad Leader did more for my reading skills than RPGs. I've always been an extensive reader since a very, very young age, so most of the vocabulary in the 1e AD&D books was known to me. But I've always enjoyed learning new and archaic words; so even those few times I needed to look up a word I learned many more as I have a hard time putting down a dictionary.

It also inspired me to read many non-fiction, science, history, geography, archeology and other books. When I had a question about something, say how fast can you dig a ditch, build a wall, range of a catapult, how big was Rome, how many people can an acre feed, etc. I had to go to the library, search the card index to find the books and then read the books. Or you just thought something was wonky with the game stat and wanted to check it yourself. No quick internet search or wikipedia back then. You had to go to the secondary and eventually I went to the primary sources (or at least translations of same).

In addition to reading, it also taught library research skills, skills I still use to this day even if the search is now conducted electronically.


math & physics
I may not have learned much from the games themselves, which frankly are vry bad sources of factual information in these areas, but they served as extra problems to apply the math and science I was learning. In a sense, I'd do my homework then apply the math or physics knowledge to solving a game problem in the RPG. For example, how high does a cliff have to be for you to have enough time to cast a Feather Fall spell before you hit the ground? How much pressure/weight is against a door to a 10'x10' room filled with water? How far is the horizon? (a very fun geometry/trigonometry problem).

The RPGs that probably did the most in this regard were sci-fi ones where calculation of the gravity of a planet knowing radius and density, or back calculation of density (and hence metal content) knowing radius and gravity. Base temperature of a planetary surface knowing stellar luminosity, distance from the stellar primary, atmospheric composition and albedo.

Somehow a problem that might seem exceedingly dull if presented in a homework assignment becomes something you'll gladly spend all day doing for a game.

creative thinking & problem solving
I think this is almost the very nature of the RPG gaming experience and certainly if you GM. Again being an old fogey, commercial game settings were virtually non-existent when I started and modules few. Even then, they were often out of reach of a teenager back then. SO you created your own, worlds, dungeons, adventures and puzzles, and swapped them back and forth with your friends.

In addition, the nature of non-scripted adventures with a random element (dice-roll) lend themselves creating situations where you need to think on your feet as suddenly the plan has changed or the GM or players have done something totally unexpected.

social skills development
It is certainly a social game but I have to say as a way to develop social skills it lags behind many other ways. I would say this about any gathering where you are coming together to focus on doing or watching a thing for entertainment. The conversation and interaction, although it can wander, is focused on the thing, be it a sporting event, a movie, or a game. Other situations where the gathering is focused on the people or real-world problems of people, basically parties and politics , are for the time spent often better ways to develop social skills. But RPGs are a good way for people to feel comfortable socializing and even acting (role-playing) and exposing a side of themselves in a non-threatening environment that they may otherwise not feel comfortable exposing.

Good luck with your thesis, liked to see it when its done if you can post a link.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Interpersonal Communications, a.k.a. "How to Manipulate People at Work."

Seriously.

Thanks to 20+ years of roleplaying I can control most group/committee meetings without people knowing that I'm doing it. It would be easier with Mass Charm Person, but 20 ranks in Diplomacy seem to work just fine.

...yes, I play musical instruments too.

 

[Firebeetle]

I'm a teacher, I don't use RPGs in my classroom, but do use board and card games to teach very specific lessons. I've certainly introduced D&D to my kids, and my 9 year old is benefitting from it greatly.

Here is my breakdown:

Reading skills- Most RPG text is written on a 10th grade or higher level, with lots of new vocabulary used in context. This is good, and it is bad. Being high level it is "goal" reading as opposed to "workout" reading, which means it is reading a young reader is likely to struggle to understand. HOWEVER, since motivation is high, it's the best sort of "goal" reading you can have.

Furthermore, D&D introduces the hard-to-understand fantasy genre. YOU may not find it difficult, but fantasy/scifi is probably the MOST difficult genre for young readers to understand, due to the lack of background connections. That's way modern and historical ficiton do much better. Harry Potter is the exception here, note that the wizarding world is essentially a parody of the modern world, allowing for lots of connections to be made. D&D gets readers into this genre head first and they don't come up for air either.

Math skills- There is a lot of arithmatic that is used constantly in RPGs. Players must add, subtract, multiply, divide, round down, and estimate constantly and on the spot. Add probability and platonic solids and you have quite a math lesson going on. All very immediate, engaging, and applicable.

Social skills- I'm always amazed that kids don't understand concepts like "taking turns" and "sharing", these are basic any game will teach then (and God know they need to learn it.) D&D does teach social skills in a fairly risk-free environment with a good group. I use DMing skills all the time. In fact, I get the same feeling teaching small reading groups as I do DMing a table, it's weird.

Of course, this is all anecdotal and speculative. CA G&T classes used to play D&D with students years ago, they may have some research to back them up.

There IS research that support D&D PREVENTING suicide (rather than the reverse) since it is a social group activity. Suicide victims tend to seperate socially. RPGs also provide a sense of "meaning" according to one study.

There is also research that shows gamers are more likely to get college educations and less likely to be criminals. You'll have to hunt for all that online though.