Cosplaying…for science! How to design outreach scientific activities using cosplay and roleplay.
Summary:
How can people connect their interests in pop culture with science? We create events to do just that! We share how to produce and evaluate these events.
Description:
Do you have science knowledge or expertise? Are you interested in pop culture, nerd culture, or gaming? Have you ever wondered if you can unite those two expertises by attending events like GenCon or comic cons? Cosplay For Science creates and researches pop-up museums, panel discussions, and other events that help connect people’s everyday interests (i.e., gaming) and scientific ideas. This seminar describes events we create and ways to evaluate their effectiveness. Past events have included an event in which scientists used creatures from Dungeons and Dragons’ Feywild as an analogue for invasive species; cosplaying as Pokemon professors and discussing evolution and speciation at a panel discussion; and creating a “Museum of the Multiverse” about insects in which undergraduates cosplayed and described how various properties (i.e. Everdell) use real-life science concepts in game design.
Dungeons, Dragons and Science!: Creating educational TTRPG materials for classrooms and clubs.
Summary:
A professor shares his experiences creating TTRPG materials inspired by real-world biology to teach scientific concepts and problem solving to students in grades 6-12 in both class and club settings.
Description:
Reasoning, problem solving and teamwork/collaboration are vital skills for scientific inquiry and learning in general. These same skills are a key part of most table-top role playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. It is this overlap that opens a door to exploring new ways of building these skills both in and out of the classroom. In this presentation, Dr. Phil Anderson, an associate professor of biology at the University of Illinois, will present the conception, development and application of D&D and other TTRPG materials for use in 6-12 science education. These include homebrew mechanics for creatures and player items based in actual biology as well as a series of connected modules which introduce core concepts in biology such as biomechanics, ecology, genetics and invasive species. All the materials will eventually be freely available for download by educators and gamers alike.