Conference Agenda

This workshop will offer a participatory demo and discussion of the immersive role-playing pedagogy Reacting to the Past. Reacting is utilized by a wide range institutions in the United States and abroad. Students take ownership of their learning, and actively explore how situation, context and evidence shape pivotal moments and experiences both in the deep past and more recent times. They are assigned roles with objectives and sets of primary texts and instructions to guide them through interactions utilizing persuasive argumentation. Scenarios are set in a particular moment in time from diplomacy on the Native American/Colonial frontier to hearings on Title IX or the artistic merits of submissions for the Vietnam Memorial. With 43 published titles and another 32 in development there is much to choose from. Here, you will get a taste of both the student and faculty experience, and an opportunity for discussion.