Please join us for a talk by Dr. Trent Hergenrader, Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing, and Director of the Center for Worldbuilding and Storytelling in the College of Liberal Arts at Rochester Institute of Technology. For Dr. Hergenrader, worldbuilding is an engaging and flexible framework for improving our work in games, narrative, and teaching. In this presentation, Dr. Hergenrader draws on a decade of college-level instruction and his recent book, Collaborative Worldbuilding for Writers and Gamers, to explain the origins of his worldbuilding methodology and how it has evolved over time. 

The talk emphasizes how collaborative worldbuilding and role-playing games promote critical thinking skills and form bonds between students and will be followed by the audience participating in a collaborative worldbuilding exercise. Dr. Hergenrader's lecture will be followed by a hands-on workshop: Teaching Critical Thinking and Empathy through World Modeling, Simulation, and Play.

In this hands-on workshop, instructors will learn how to use worldbuilding techniques in their classrooms to create interactive and impactful learning experiences for their students. This flexible approach is intended for any discipline, and attendees are encouraged to bring in specific assignments, units, or classes that could incorporate worldbuilding exercises.

Friday, April 12th, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
EMPAC Studio Beta

Please Register for the event.