The Campaign for Motivation: Comparing Tabletop Role-Playing Game Running with Classroom Instruction
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| Title: | The Campaign for Motivation: Comparing Tabletop Role-Playing Game Running with Classroom Instruction |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Arpit Bawa |
| Source: | Journal of Research Initiatives. 2026 9(2). |
| Availability: | Fayetteville State University, College of Education. 1200 Murchison Road, Fayetteville, NC 28301. Tel: 910-672-1634; Web site: https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/jri/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 9 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Role Playing, Games, Leadership, Higher Education, Student Motivation, Teaching Methods, Game Based Learning, Story Telling, Cooperative Learning, Participative Decision Making, Instructional Leadership |
| ISSN: | 2168-9083 |
| Abstract: | Motivation is a cornerstone of effective teaching and learning, influencing student engagement, satisfaction, and academic performance. This descriptive case study examines Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TRPGs) as an underutilized pedagogical approach in higher education and compares the motivational processes involved in TRPG game running with those in classroom instruction. Leveraging the mere exposure effect (Zajonc, 1968), the study proposes that faculty unfamiliar with TRPGs can lower perceived barriers to adoption by identifying familiar motivational elements shared with classroom teaching. The study draws on self-determination theory, motivational frameworks, and case study methodology to analyze structural parallels between TRPG game mastering and instructional facilitation. Findings suggest that motivational drivers--including autonomy, competence, relatedness, narrative, and improvisational scaffolding--are meaningfully shared between the two contexts. Implications for professional development and the adoption of game-based learning in higher education are discussed. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1516928 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Motivation is a cornerstone of effective teaching and learning, influencing student engagement, satisfaction, and academic performance. This descriptive case study examines Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TRPGs) as an underutilized pedagogical approach in higher education and compares the motivational processes involved in TRPG game running with those in classroom instruction. Leveraging the mere exposure effect (Zajonc, 1968), the study proposes that faculty unfamiliar with TRPGs can lower perceived barriers to adoption by identifying familiar motivational elements shared with classroom teaching. The study draws on self-determination theory, motivational frameworks, and case study methodology to analyze structural parallels between TRPG game mastering and instructional facilitation. Findings suggest that motivational drivers--including autonomy, competence, relatedness, narrative, and improvisational scaffolding--are meaningfully shared between the two contexts. Implications for professional development and the adoption of game-based learning in higher education are discussed. |
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| ISSN: | 2168-9083 |
