Na trilha da aventura : contribuições do Role Playing Game (RPG) como um guia didático para o ensino de química

Abstract

This paper presents the gains and contributions of a Roleplaying Game (RPG) to chemistry teaching, presented as a Teaching Guide. While playing RPG, each player undertakes a character role in a fantastic adventure. One of the players assumes the role of Game Master (GM), who holds a unique and special role among all in the team. The GM describes the scenes and follows the plot. The players then, act according to their characters, interfering and building up the history. Researched in Brazil as a pedagogical tool since the 90s, Marcatto (1996) e Schmit (2008) point out the RPG as pedagogic capable of develop a number of skills among its players. Cavalcanti (2009) reports success of its use in natural sciences teaching. With this foundation in mind, a research was done over the literature to create a database of scientific papers and physical books, concomitantly to an analysis of the works regarding the contributions of the RPG in teaching. Later on, it was carried out a research on free RPG materials and game systems, as well as basic concepts for storytelling and plot build focused on construction of chemical concepts. The result of this research indicated that major parts of RPG game masters are the researchers themselves, who already has some experience with the game. Then, it was produced an educational product containing an adventure, an adapted system of rules and information concerning how to drive a RPG game for Chemistry teachers who have no experience with the game itself. After undergoing tests, the educational product became a Teaching Guide, called "Na Trilha da Aventura: Ensinando e Aprendendo Química com RPG". It was rated by experienced players of RPGs, members of Programa Institucional de Bolsa de Iniciação à Docência (PIBID) Interdisciplinar em Ciências naturais e Matemática and teachers of the Centro de Formação e Atualização dos Profissionais da Educação Básica – Cefapro. The evaluation found the technical aspect, playful, didactic and pedagogical of the Teaching Guide. The evaluation results were positive, demonstrating that the guide prepares the teacher to use the RPG in his classes. It helps to create your own adventures, provides subsidies so that the teacher who never had experience with RPG may teach the by playing the proposed adventure, allowing the teacher to add other chemistry concepts and adapt the proposed challenges according to their realities.