In this episode, Dale talks with Stefan McNinch, founder of UnboxEd, a nonprofit revolutionizing education through game-based learning. Explore how Stefan’s work teaches financial literacy, persistence, and teamwork while addressing educational gaps in underserved communities. Discover why tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) can be a better educational tool than traditional methods and how they transform students’ attitudes toward failure into stepping stones for success.

Listen to Stefan share insights into adapting games for learning objectives, the value of reframing failure, and the challenges of integrating TTRPGs into the classroom. Whether you’re an educator, parent, or gamer, this conversation highlights how gaming can prepare students for the real world while sparking joy and creativity.

UnboxEd website: https://unboxedclassroom.com

Wyrmworks Publishing Patreon: https://patreon.com/wyrmworkspublishing

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I Never Thought of It That Way by Mónica Guzmán

• 00:00 Introduction: Can fantasy characters teach real-world skills better than traditional methods?
• 03:59 Guest intro: Stefan McNinch claims UnboxEd is solving what schools have ignored.
• 05:51 Entrepreneurship RPG: Teaching financial literacy – or is it gamifying survival skills?
• 10:44 Measuring success: Are engagement and persistence better metrics than grades?
• 13:06 Surprises: Is curiosity dead in today’s kids – or are we failing to teach it?
• 17:26 Empathy through RPGs: Are we raising a generation of roleplayers, not real thinkers?

In this thought-provoking episode, Dale sits down with Dr. Dave Eng, an expert in using board games for educational purposes. Dr. Eng shares his groundbreaking insights on how tabletop games can revolutionize the learning experience. From cooperative classics like Pandemic to the innovative “Matrix Games” that leverage words over numbers, this episode dives into the benefits of interactive gameplay in classrooms. Discover how board games can foster critical thinking, teamwork, and experiential learning in ways traditional lectures cannot. Learn about Dr. Eng’s inspiring work and his mission to bring gaming literacy to educators worldwide. 

Plus, Dale reveals Wyrmworks Publishing’s pioneering effort to introduce the first-ever braille ruleset for tabletop RPGs, making the hobby more accessible than ever before.

0:00 Introducing Braille to the TTRPG hobby

06:49 Interview: Dave Eng, EdD on gamifying education

42:16 An invitation to change the world

Links:

• Wyrmworks Publishing http://wyrmworkspublishing.com/ 
• Braille System Reference Document for D&D 5E on DriveThruRPG https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/472156/5e-SRD-51-System-Reference-Document-Braille-Transcription-and-Tutorial?affiliate_id=2455077 
• Dr. Dave Eng https://davengdesign.com/
• UniversityXP https://universityxp.com/ 
• Banditos Gaming https://www.banditosgaming.com/ 
• Wyrmworks Publishing Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wyrmworkspublishing

Manually captioned. Transcript available at our website.

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