Placing edu-larp on the map of educational learning theories. A critical discourse analysis of ideas about learning in the edu-larp community.

Abstract

This thesis addresses what ideas about learning are articulated in the edu-larp (educational live action role-playing) community, what educational learning theories the edu-larp discourse builds on, and what positions become available through this. It places the edu-larp discourse on the map of educational learning theories. Theoretically and methodologically, this study is based on critical discourse theory by Fairclough and uses educational learning theories to map the edu-larp discourse against. Ten one-hour online interviews were conducted with participants from the edu-larp community from six countries for data construction. All participants are both theorists presenting at conferences and practitioners using edu-larp in the field. The interviews were followed by a critical discourse analysis to extract main themes. The main themes were categorised into three parts: What you can learn from edu-larp (personal development, social skills, empathy, and content knowledge), How you learn through edu-larp (cooperation, reflection, gaining new perspectives, individual processes, embodiment, and experiential learning), and Why use edu-larp (motivation, playfulness, power distribution, creating a brave space, and emotional engagement). Additionally, a local discourse on alibi and learning was identified, highlighting how components of larp such as game rules, world/setting, and character serve as alibis for various actions, such as fostering safety and enabling exploration. The main themes and the discourse were further related to educational learning theories, resulting in an order of discourse placing the edu-larps discourse on the map of educational learning theories. The order of discourse ended up as follows: experiential learning, transformative learning, constructionism, pragmatism, psychological constructivism, sociocultural theory, behaviourism, and situated learning. The analysis also revealed resistance within the discourse, highlighting how the discourse is not stable and making many positions available. The position made ‘the other’ that the participants positioned themselves against was traditional educational practices centred on professor-centric, one-way knowledge transfer. Notably, the discourse primarily draws from adult learning theories without clear differentiation between learning for adults and children. As a result, the design practice for edu-larp appears to advocate for a uniform approach across age groups, overlooking potential distinctions in design based on age.