Brag - Spring2023
university yqr canada uofr universityofregina jesuiteducated campion regina catholic alumni saskatchewan jesuit
university yqr canada uofr universityofregina jesuiteducated campion regina catholic alumni saskatchewan jesuit
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Teaching a Medieval<br />
Pandemic with a Historical<br />
Role-Playing Game<br />
BY DR. ALLISON FIZZARD<br />
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, CAMPION COLLEGE<br />
THE<br />
PLAGUE<br />
COMES TO<br />
CAMPION<br />
“These historical<br />
role-playing<br />
games are<br />
typically set<br />
in periods of<br />
tension or crisis;<br />
students are<br />
given the roles<br />
of people who<br />
have to debate<br />
and decide<br />
on courses of<br />
action that<br />
reflect real<br />
controversies.”<br />
In the fall of 2022, students enrolled in<br />
HIST 290AU The Black Death: A Medieval<br />
Pandemic had the opportunity to learn about<br />
the distant past in a new way. After spending<br />
the first portion of the course studying the<br />
historical background of this devastating<br />
fourteenth-century outbreak of disease,<br />
students took on the roles of citizens of the<br />
English city of Norwich to debate and vote on<br />
how they should respond to rumours of plague<br />
advancing toward them. They were doing so<br />
as part of the historical role-playing game<br />
“1349: Plague Comes to Norwich”, designed by<br />
Amy Curry of Lone Star College in the United<br />
States.<br />
“1349: Plague Comes to Norwich” is one<br />
of a number of historical role-playing<br />
games designed by post-secondary<br />
educators following an active learning<br />
approach known as “Reacting to the Past”<br />
(see https://reactingconsortium.org/<br />
WIR-basics).<br />
These historical role-playing games are<br />
typically set in periods of tension or crisis;<br />
students are given the roles of people who<br />
have to debate and decide on courses of action<br />
that reflect real controversies. Each student<br />
has an objective they must achieve in order<br />
to “win”. Most students belong to factions<br />
and must work with their faction members to<br />
advance the faction’s objectives. “Winning”<br />
in these historical role-playing games means<br />
persuading one’s fellow students to support<br />
the course of action one is advocating.<br />
In HIST 290AU last fall, students took over<br />
the running of the classes when we were<br />
playing the game. Attired like the Grim Reaper,<br />
I remained in the background, waiting until<br />
at some point during each class I “tolled the<br />
bell” and had the students pick stones of<br />
different colours from a bag. Depending on<br />
the colour of the stone, they learned whether<br />
their characters lived, died, or were suffering<br />
from symptoms of the plague. Each class<br />
students debated issues such as whether<br />
to close the city gates to travellers or to<br />
impose a quarantine. These debates allowed<br />
students see how issues like balancing medical<br />
advice with economic needs during times of<br />
pandemic have a very long history.<br />
In addition, students developed their skills in<br />
reading and analyzing historical texts, writing<br />
persuasive speeches, and working in groups.<br />
Some students expressed nervousness about<br />
public speaking but afterward said how much<br />
the experience helped them build confidence<br />
in speaking in front of others.<br />
One Campion student in the course,<br />
Madeleine Boté, described what she got out of<br />
the course this way:<br />
“The Black Death class and game were<br />
not just fun, but [they] also encouraged<br />
students when playing to engage more<br />
with the course readings so that they had<br />
a better chance of succeeding in-game.<br />
Being able to experience this sort of<br />
hands-on and involved learning was a<br />
great treat, and I would recommend this<br />
class to anyone who wants a class that<br />
is not only deeply informative, but very<br />
different and standalone amongst the<br />
other history classes offered on campus.”<br />
HIST 290AU is being offered again in the<br />
Fall, 2023, semester.<br />
10<br />
<strong>Brag</strong> | VOL. THIRTY-FOUR | SPRING 2023<br />
Campion College<br />
Campion College <strong>Brag</strong> | VOL. THIRTY-FOUR | SPRING 2023<br />
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