This section provides a rough course outline of the topics typically covered in our training programs. The specific session orders, topics, and game systems vary from group to group to best meet the needs of the attending trainees and make the most of everyone's time.
The list below is NOT a fixed progression, each instructor will provide a course outline and curricula specific to each group, which may vary significantly from this outline. However, the outline below does provide a reasonable average of the typical content and progression.
Completion of all program requirements leads to an award of the full RPG Research Role-Playing Game Professional Level 2 Game Master Diploma.
See more information about our RPG Diplomas and Training Certificates here: https://rpgresearch.com/rpg-diploma
Read about our Learning Options here: https://rpgresearch.com/learning-options
Course Schedule Outline and Requirements.
Participants participate in this extensive training program first as a player, through all the sessions, and then through it all a second time as an assistant facilitator and GM.
The specifics vary from group to group based on each iteration of our research and evidence-in-practice, but the following is an approximate outline of the topics commonly covered in the training programs:
- Orientation Part 1: Code of Conduct, Consent, Context, Refresher on The RPG Model(s) and 4 Formats: IF: Sandbox: Fablelands or similar
- Orientation Part 2: Refresher on APIE, Assessment, RPG Format HRPG: SAB3: example like "___________________",
- TRPG Core Concepts Review, RPG Advocacy, Player Archetype Specialist, Assignments: BFRPG SAM3 "_________________________________" & BFRPG SAM4 "_______________________________"
- APIE: Program Planning In more depth, ______________________, Neuroscience of Learning Continued, BFRPG Group Adventure 1: _____________________
- APIE: Implementation in more depth, ___________________________, BFRPG Group Adventure 2: __________________________
- APIE: Evaluation in more depth, OIS-RPG, More on Bleed and Bleed Management, Group Adventure BFRPG 3: ______________________________
- Documentation in more depth, ____________________, Voicing part 3, Group Adventure BFRPG 4: ___________________________
- More on Accessibility, Voicing part 4, Group Adventure 5: _________________________
- More on use of RPGs for Educational Goals, The Open Science by Design approach in more depth, and RPG Research Workflow in more depth, ______________________, Group Adventure 6: ______________________________
- The LRPG Format, Pros and Cons of LRPG, NTYE Adventures 1 , 2, & 3.
- Effects of technologies on TRPG experiences in more depth, VTTs continued, Introduction to RPG: _______________________________
- Electronic RPGs ERPG Format Continued Part 1: ___________________________________
- ERPG Format Continued Part 2: ________________________________________
- ERPG Format Continued Part 3: ______________________________________, More on Ethical Game Design, More on Electronic GM Tools for ERPGs.
- More on Flow, RPG: ________________________________________
- _________________________, __________________________, RPG: ________________________________
- More on GM Styles, _____________________________, RPG: __________________________________
- TR Enhanced RPG Experience, D&D (Saltmarsh or similar) Part 4
- _________________________, __________________________, RPG: ________________________________
- _________________________, __________________________, RPG: ________________________________
- More on Risk Factors, More on Explanatory Styles, RPG: _____________________________
- Hybrid RPGs, More on Group Dynamics and Communication, RPG: ________________________________
- More on Resilience, _____________________________, RPG: ________________________________
- _________________________, __________________________, RPG: ________________________________
- More on Use of RPGs for Therapeutic Goals, ______________________________, RPG: _____________________________________
- Final Applied Gaming Session: "__________________________, "_______________________", or similar, Completing Remaining Diploma Requirements, Preparing for the Final Exam.
Candidate Game Systems:
TRPG:
Stargate SG-1 d20
Avatar The Last Airbender
The Expanse RPG
Star Trek Adventures
Dune RPG and/or A Song of Ice and Fire (and application to other systems and settings)
InspireIsles
Mouse Guard
Kids on Bikes
Bubblegumshoe
Twilight 2000
Fate / Fate Accelerated, Dresden Files, Crescent City
Call of Cthulhu
Starfinder
Rolemaster
MERP
Thieves World
LRPG:
"The Hirelings" non-combat/non-costume larp
_______________ boffer larp
______________ non-combat, costume larp
Battle Royale adapative larp for players in wheelchairs and other mobility disabilities
ERPG:
Dragon Age
That Dragon Cancer
Life is Strange
BCI-RPG hands-on play: ____________________
HRPG:
Fabled Lands sandbox
________________
Diploma Requirements
All of our trainees are volunteers signed up to help RPG Research advance our Mission and Vision goals for research and community programs.
As a critical requirement of our RPG Research Workflow, volunteers need to participate in a range of training programs, depending on their role with the organization and their own personal long term goals.
For the Role-Playing Game Professional Diplomas, we have very specific (and rigorous) requirements that must ALL be met before the trainee is qualified to receive an official diploma. This is, arguably, the highest standard in role-playing game professional training available anywhere in the world.
Requirements Checklist:
Meet all the requirements to become a Role-Playing Game Professional Volunteer Trainee: https://rpgresearch.com/jobs/role-playing-game-master-trainee (including regular background checks):
- Pass mandatory background check
- Complete all theory training requirements
- Complete all in-class applied gaming sessions (6-12 games per level of training)
- Complete all self-study assignments (typically 15-90 minutes of work per week)
- Complete all journal entries
- Complete all written/recorded essays
- Complete all observer, player, and GM logs and evaluations
- Complete all volunteer hours requirements "giving back to the community" (this is very flexible)
- Complete all supervised, peer-reviewed, community sessions
- Complete all training, volunteering, and peer-review hours before eligible to take final exam
- Minimum in-class training hours: 208
- Minimum Supervised & Peer-reviewed In-Lab Applied Gaming Hours: 130
- Minimum Supervised Community Volunteering/Applied Gaming Hours: 100
- Complete all session/section quizzes with 100% score before eligible to take final exam
- Complete final exam with 90% or higher, to receive diploma, and online verification listing.
Trainees can accomplish much of this in parallel and often overlapping. For example, applied peer-reviewed gaming can take place during some main training sessions, or some of the volunteer community hours. Once background check is passed, trainees can immediately begin helping (and tracking hours) in the volunteer community settings (on-site and/or online).
Typical Training Session Outline
Each formal training session is typically around 4 hours.
Attendees must check-in 15 minutes before class begins. If a trainee is running a game as GM, then they need to check in 30 minutes before.
Typical training session outline:
- Take baseline quiz on the session's topics.
- Applied Gaming Part 1
- Theory and Evidence-in-Practice Lecture & Discussion Session
- Pro Tips & Tricks Session
- Applied Gaming Part 2
- Re-take Quiz Evaluation
- Weekly Tasks/Assignments
Current 2023 schedule for new trainees:
- Level 1 Player/GM Second Edition trainees begin February 4th, Saturdays 7:45 am to 12:00 pm PST.
- Level 1 Player/GM Third Edition Friday group trainees begin March 3rd, 10:45 am to 3:00 pm PST.
- Level 1 Player/GM Third Edition Saturday group trainees begin March 4th, 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm PST
- Level 2 Player/GM Second Edition trainees begin May 6th, 7:45 am to 12:00 pm PST (tentative).
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