Curricula and Workshops

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We have three primary curricula, developed as part of the project on Engaging Beyond Our Walls:

  1. DIY guides. For those ready to jump in, we have learner guides, tools and more. See below.
  2. Six-week curricula. Developed to train local library and museum staff. Initially delivered via Zoom, and then transformed into a six-week asynchronous curriculum. See outline below.
  3. University courses. Most prominently, the American University course on “Playful Cities: Design for Interactive Storytelling and Community Engagement.” Refined over several years by Prof. Benjamin Stokes, for use with undergraduates and graduate students in game design and community engagement. No technical skill is presumed. Feel free to repurpose elements, just give credit if you replicate large blocks. Jump to outline and PDF below.
  4. Local workshops. Includes: A model for three meetings. Based on a successful project in WI; and useful strategy videos to show patrons when running a DIY workshop of your own.

DIY Guides

For those ready to jump in, we currently have a basic sequence for libraries that museums and others can follow too:

  1. Watch our overview video (1 hr). Libraries in particular might want to start by reading WebJunction’s overview page, and then watching the video through their event page in order to get professional development credit. Everyone can also watch the video on Vimeo. This video was created with WebJunction for local libraries that could also be used by community museums and others.
  2. Learner guide: Follow our very basic learner guide (DOCX, 2 pages), created with WebJunction; again, it is phrased for local libraries, but can certainly be used by community museums and others.
  3. Jump into our tools and tactics section

Semester-long University Syllabus on Playful Cities

Syllabus in PDF on “Playful Cities: Design for Interactive Storytelling and Community Engagement”

Outline:

  • Wk1: Texting with an Object (Cloud Telephony)
  • Wk2: Protagonists Beyond Our Walls; Real-World Games
  • Wk3: Game-based Activities and “Locally Played”
  • Wk4: Audio and Situated Documentaries (with Dramatic Elements)
  • Wk5: AI, Mobile Annotation, and Civic Data APIs
  • Wk6: Placemaking and Social Expansion
  • Wk7: Playtesting and Gamification
  • Wk8: Rituals with RFID and DIY Tools
  • Wk9 – [Spring Break — No Class]
  • Wk10: Interactive Artifacts and Seamful Design
  • Wk11: Embedded Screens, Museum RFID
  • Wk12: Playable Smart Cities (and Crossing Platforms)
  • Wk13: Urban Furniture and Public Things
  • Wk14: Values at Play and Ethics for the Internet of Things (IoT)
  • Wk15: Demo night at MLK Library
  • Wk16 – STUDY PERIOD (no class)
  • Wk17: Portfolios / final exam and showcase

For details see the full syllabus PDF

Six-week curricula

This outline is for the asynchronous curricula we taught with Hive Mechanic in 2023-24, primarily for local libraries, but compatible with community museums and civic groups:

Phase I — “Try It”

  • Week 1: Introductions, Try It and Imagine Together. The week’s activities will take you about an hour. Includes two demos (Text with a Sculpture and Audio Hunt), and stretching our imagination for interactive storytelling.
  • Week 2 : Basics of Hive Mechanic (~1 hour). We will walk you through our authoring tool, emphasizing how to modify an activity and try it out.

Phase II — Make Your Own Activity

  • Week 3: Narrative and Dialogue
  • Week 4: Build a Functional Prototype
  • Week 5: Playtesting and QR Codes
  • Week 6: Catalyzing for Launch

More to come – we have a ton of resources, and are currently reformatting several for republication here or on request.