Makalu: The Summit : Designing an educational larp for adult education trainers on larp methodology, using leadership as a case

Sammanfattning

A growing body of research positions larp as an effective tool for skill building, yet it remains underutilized in adult education. This study explores how an educational larp can be designed to teach training professionals about larp's transformative potential as an experiential learning method, applying leadership development as a case. Using research through design combined with qualitative research, we developed and playtested Makalu: The Summit, a leadership larp focusing on decision-making and team dynamics in a volatile environment, drawing on established team leadership models. The game is designed to educate participants on larp's transformative mechanisms, including bleed, alibi, and immersion, using leadership skill development as a case. Data was collected through pre- and post-game questionnaires, and two playtest sessions — one with larpers, one with trainers experienced in experiential learning. To support trainer education, findings recommend an immersive, full-day edu-larp with structured reflection and distributed framing across multiple channels to extend learning beyond the event. Key design findings include the importance of characters calibrated to learners' growth edge and sufficient decision points for developing immersion and experimenting with leadership behavior. This research discusses how larps can offer opportunities for reflection on their broader potential as an experiential learning tool, and offers tested design principles for integrating larp into leadership development in adult education.